Thursday 13 January 2011

Theatre News: Tennant & Tate, Imelda Staunton, Mark Curry and More


Who's excited about this then? Doctor Who co-stars David Tennant and Catherine Tate are going to co-star again, this time in Shakespeare. Yes, the Doctor and the Annoying One are going to appear as Benedick and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing in the summer at Wyndhams. (I've been on stage there, fnarr.)

I have to say, I'm just not that fussed. I think David Tennant is lovely (of course); I quite enjoy watching bits of old Doctor Who episodes, even though I rarely know what's going on, and I'm certainly gutted to have missed his Hamlet live. (On TV it was a bit naff.)

But I really don't enjoy watching Catherine Tate act. Not on TV; not on stage (I saw her in Under the Blue Sky and didn't like it). It's a totally personal thing. (I'm not even saying I think she's bad.) I just don't like her acting. I find it very lifeless, somehow distracting, and horribly samey. I can't stand the idea of her playing Beatrice. Not when I've seen the fantastic Samatha Spiro do it so well at the Open Air Theatre. (Apologies for that annoying "I was there when" theatrical reference, I'll try to make sure it doesn't happen again.)

Happily there's more interesting cast news about this week:
  • Imelda Staunton in A Delicate Balance at the Almeida
  • Colin Morgan in Our Private Life at the Royal Court
  • Mark Curry in Company at the Southwark Playhouse (perhaps I can see this and kill two birds with one stone: see my first Sondheim, and go to the SP, which is so close to work it seems imposible I haven't been there yet)
  • Oliver Ford Davies in Goodnight Mister Tom (sniff!)
It's all looking rather exciting for 2011. I just hope I can keep up!
Read the rest of this week's Theatre News on the Visit London Blog

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