The London theatre scene is buzzing and the year has just begun. Titles including Much Ado About Nothing, Oedipus, The Tempest, Kyoto, Richard II and Elektra are completing runs in famous locations around London – the Old Vic, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the Duke of York Theatre, the Bridge Theatre. Big titles, big venues and big names from Hollywood.
Of the titles listed above, all but one have leads known from their time on the silver screen, and even as the exception Kyoto’s Stephen Kunken has still spent time on screen in Billions and The Handmaid’s Tale.
Title, venue and set are all important contributors to ticket sales, but the allure of an imported star from the big screen is hard to resist. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Famous leads bring publicity, introducing a wider audience to a potentially lesser known script. Moreover, many of these famous actors are classically trained, making them the perfect mix of experienced and enticing.
Rami Malek (Bohemian Rapsody, No Time to Die, Night at the Museum) took to the stage as Oedipus at The Old Vic and was brilliant. Sigourney Weaver (Alien, Avatar, Ghostbusters) starred as Prospero at Theatre Royal Drury Lane but was not as commanding and critics (and viewers) have made comparisons to Kenneth Branagh’s somewhat lacking King Lear of 2023, another victim of celebrity Shakespeare.
Of course, the success of a performance does not depend solely on its lead. I enjoyed the set and costume design of King Lear immensely, though I cannot say the same for The Tempest, and Malek was part of an incredible team effort, having been joined on stage by the excellent Indira Varma, a feverishly captivating dancing chorus and an inspired use of set, sound and costume.
However, as I was watching Weaver’s performance I could not help but think back to the first version of The Tempest I saw at the Globe in 2022. I doubt the name Ferdy Roberts as Prospero sells the same number of tickets as Sigourney Weaver but his performance, his wild enthusiasm and his neon yellow swimming trunks made the performance an experience, and though Weaver clearly aimed for a more sober portrayal, her delivery left me wanting for emotion.
At the Globe, Prospero was joined by the Globe’s Ensemble, which that night lacked a Ferdinand and featured a black-clothed replacement with a slightly shaking script in hand. Despite this, the performance was entertaining, engaging. Roberts had committed to Prospero, Weaver seemed almost reluctant. I had never heard of Ferdy Roberts, now I look for him in new productions.
I doubt the West End will stop pinching actors from the big screen for their productions. It is a safe way of selling tickets and often it works well. These actors are not only experienced and dedicated to their craft but can also help uplift others in the industry. However, it is important to acknowledge the growing risk that for many actors lead roles will simply become unattainable, not due to any lack of skill or commitment, but lack of film credits and fan bases. Perhaps our focus should instead be on raising the profile of smaller productions that play out far away from the paparazzi and the silver screen.
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