617 posts
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Post by loureviews on Apr 12, 2018 17:37:48 GMT
Just read about Alex Beckett. No age at all. How very sad.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2018 17:59:49 GMT
Oh how terrible. How shattering for the rest of the company as well. How on earth do you carry on after that, even if you have another actor who technically could take on the role? What a horrible decision for the Donmar to have to make.
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Post by profquatermass on Apr 12, 2018 21:02:07 GMT
Oh how terrible. How shattering for the rest of the company as well. How on earth do you carry on after that, even if you have another actor who technically could take on the role? What a horrible decision for the Donmar to have to make. It must be very hard. It happened during The Talking Cure at the NT - James Hazeldine died during prieviews and Dominic Rowan ended up playing two roles |
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Post by d'James on Apr 12, 2018 21:25:46 GMT
Yes I remember when an actor in Starlight Express in Germany died a few years back suddenly (whilst on holiday).
I can’t imagine the shock when they’re so young. There’s nothing to say other than my thoughts are with his family and friends.
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2,743 posts
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Post by n1david on Apr 12, 2018 22:50:00 GMT
Oh how terrible. How shattering for the rest of the company as well. How on earth do you carry on after that, even if you have another actor who technically could take on the role? What a horrible decision for the Donmar to have to make. I expect they'll have to make a hard-nosed decision about the tickets sold and the cost of leaving the theatre dark if they didn't continue. But, particularly for a comedy, I can imagine the cast struggling to work with another actor and bring the comedy back. I'm sure they're all professionals and by the end of the run the pain will be imperceptible to the audience. But given they must be mourning their loss, starting new rehearsals with another actor must be the last thing they want to do right now. But I assume the show will go on. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2018 8:17:47 GMT
So sad. I didn't know him personally but have a lot of friends who do (Welsh acting world and all that...) and it's just utterly devastating. Much respect to the Donmar for that decision- there are times it's right for the 'show must go on' and times it isn't. Sadly this is the latter, but I'm glad they're giving the company that space.
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Post by Jan on Apr 13, 2018 16:08:21 GMT
Much respect to the Donmar for that decision- there are times it's right for the 'show must go on' and times it isn't. Sadly this is the latter. Agree. The most startling example of the “show must go on” mentality in the old days was when Arthur Lowe was touring with his wife in a play. After the matinee one day he was taken ill and died on the way to hospital, however his wife insisted on going on with the understudy for the evening performance. Indeed the tour continued with her and the understudy and as a result she was unable to attend his funeral too. |
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Post by profquatermass on Apr 13, 2018 16:29:35 GMT
Alexander Woollcott (who the Man who Came to Dinner is based on) died during a radio talk show which apparently carried on without the audience noticing. And there was an actor died during a live play in steam tv days which lead to a lot of frantic improvising though Joe Public never clocked a thing.
It's good that the show should go on but, to put it in perspective, I doubt any of us would expect our workplaces to close for weeks because an employee died, however sudden it was
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617 posts
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Post by loureviews on Apr 13, 2018 16:33:37 GMT
Yes Prof that was in the 50s TV days on Armchair Theatre. As it was live TV it was a case of shuffling the poor chaps lines and telling the cast once they were off air. A play called Underground and actor Gareth Jones.
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Post by Jan on Apr 13, 2018 19:37:47 GMT
Alexander Woollcott (who the Man who Came to Dinner is based on) died during a radio talk show which apparently carried on without the audience noticing. And there was an actor died during a live play in steam tv days which lead to a lot of frantic improvising though Joe Public never clocked a thing. It's good that the show should go on but, to put it in perspective, I doubt any of us would expect our workplaces to close for weeks because an employee died, however sudden it was I think the collaborative nature of theatre makes it different. Once while working in an office the chap who sat next to me died while on a company visit and the next day a secretary just came and put his stuff in a cardboard box and that was that. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2018 9:11:26 GMT
^Anyone else feel rather for the secretary who had to do that? Yeah... It sounds like Dr Brock worked somewhere horrendously inhuman, everywhere I've worked would manage the death of a colleague better than that. |
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Post by Phantom of London on Apr 14, 2018 10:43:00 GMT
Just as well though theatre is humane, I am very shocked at hearing this news, as many others on here have been. I don’t think I have ever encountered Alex Beckett on stage, one reason for this maybe, because he is relative young , which makes the events this week even more desperately sad.
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Post by Jan on Apr 14, 2018 10:49:59 GMT
^Anyone else feel rather for the secretary who had to do that? Yeah... It sounds like Dr Brock worked somewhere horrendously inhuman, everywhere I've worked would manage the death of a colleague better than that. Different times. That was 35 years ago. |
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Post by joem on Apr 15, 2018 20:30:31 GMT
Just as well though theatre is humane, I am very shocked at hearing this news, as many others on here have been. I don’t think I have ever encountered Alex Beckett on stage, one reason for this maybe, because he is relative young , which makes the events this week even more desperately sad. I saw him in Edward II and in Blue Light where he gave a good performance. Sad. RIP. |
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Post by moelhywel on Apr 16, 2018 16:51:53 GMT
Tonight's performance is also cancelled according to the Donmar website.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2018 17:50:19 GMT
Obviously very sympathetic with the circumstances but they could be communicating updates on the remaining performances better - nothing on the twitter feed about tonight's performance and no indication of the situation for the rest of the week.
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Post by wickedgrin on Apr 16, 2018 23:21:38 GMT
This must be extremely difficult for the Donmar. The run had only just started and is due to run until the 26th May. I suppose they will have to re-cast, I don't think they even have understudies. As other posters have said it will be extremely difficult for the cast, especially playing comedy. If this had happened towards the end of the run they probably would just have cancelled the few remaining performances.
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2,743 posts
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Post by n1david on Apr 17, 2018 4:03:28 GMT
I’m not due to go until close to the end of the run, but I have to admit - illogically - I’m looking forward to it quite a lot less now. If they have recast by that time, I will go to support the cast and I hope enjoy it, but it wouldn’t bother me if they cancelled the run now. Can’t begin to imagine the difficult position both performers, relatives and the whole team at the Donmar must be going through.
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2,743 posts
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Post by n1david on Apr 17, 2018 4:49:39 GMT
BTW, “relatives” in that last post should read “creatives”. Not that his relatives won’t be going through hell, but I don’t think they’ll be at the Donmar.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2018 10:13:03 GMT
Back on from tonight
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2018 10:17:48 GMT
Waitwell now played by Robin Pearce, not someone I'm particularly familiar with, but he did play the role in the Chichester production in 2012. I'm now very curious as to what extent he remembers the role from all those years ago. It seems like more than long enough ago to forget everything about it, but the fact he's played it before does seem like the kind of thing that makes him a natural person to reach out to in this situation.
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Post by Snciole on Apr 17, 2018 14:40:12 GMT
I don't act but I always assumed what made great actors was a fantastic short term memory and not a particularly good long term one. You have to pick up roles so quickly.
I wish Robin and the cast all the best, it isn't an easy show to do in such circumstances and business and emotional decisions don't always concincide
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Post by Jan on Apr 17, 2018 15:01:55 GMT
I don't act but I always assumed what made great actors was a fantastic short term memory and not a particularly good long term one. You have to pick up roles so quickly. I wish Robin and the cast all the best, it isn't an easy show to do in such circumstances and business and emotional decisions don't always concincide The RSC once did a show in Stratford with two female lead parts one of which was played by Harriet Walter. The next year it transferred to London but without her. The day I saw it the other lead was indisposed and they explained before the performance that there was no understudy but Harriet Walter was going to take the part - ie. not the part she had played - but she had only had enough time to rehearse it earlier that day. You couldn’t tell. So she was able to remember someone else’s part with very minimum preparation. |
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Post by lynette on Apr 17, 2018 19:02:03 GMT
It’s the job. And how brilliantly they do it.
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Post by stefy69 on Apr 18, 2018 6:14:34 GMT
Missed getting tickets for this hope it has a life beyond the Donmar, we could do with more Restoration in the West End !
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