Chess

[Being Alive]

CJ - yay

Don’t even start me on Burke.

[Deleted]

Feb 12, 2018 21:23:15 GMT ilovewemusicals said:

Rumour mill on Facebook is saying:

Tim Howar as Freddie
Michael Ball as Anatoly
Alexandra Burke as Svetlana
Cassidy Janson as Florence
Murray Head as The Arbiter

Quite how true though, lol.

Let's hope not. Michael Ball is no surprise, but the rest? Dullsville.

[loureviews]

Feb 12, 2018 21:23:15 GMT ilovewemusicals said:

Rumour mill on Facebook is saying:

Tim Howar as Freddie
Michael Ball as Anatoly
Alexandra Burke as Svetlana
Cassidy Janson as Florence
Murray Head as The Arbiter

Quite how true though, lol.

Alexandra Burke??? Who turned them down?

Michael Ball is far too old for Anatoly IMO. Murray Head though, I like that idea. And Tim Howar has the rock chops. Cassidy? Maybe.

[Deleted]

We’re getting to the point now that as long as they’ve got their own pair of rubber-soled shoes to stop them falling off the tilting chessboard, they’re in it. (Murray will be okay as his zimmer will have its rubber ferrules.) 

[distantcousin]

Sounds like some kind of bad joke or fan-fiction to me. Thank Christ I didn't book tickets!

[Rukaya]

Not sure how to add a photo but just seen this on FB, from an apparently reliable source

Tim Howar as Freddie
Michael Ball as Anatoly 
Alexandra Burke as Svetlana 
Cassidy Janson as Florence
Murray Head as The Arbiter 

[BurlyBeaR]

Feb 12, 2018 22:00:43 GMT distantcousin said:

Sounds like some kind of bad joke or fan-fiction to me. Thank Christ I didn't book tickets!

Ive got a whole weekend booked around this mofo 😐

but its gonna be great! 😊⭐️🎉👍

[danb]

Apparently the sixteenth/last casting breakdown they sent out just had the list of character names, the dates and ‘fancy it?’ scribbled in biro underneath.

[Deleted]

[distantcousin]

Feb 12, 2018 22:03:06 GMT BurlyBeaR said:

Feb 12, 2018 22:00:43 GMT distantcousin said:

Sounds like some kind of bad joke or fan-fiction to me. Thank Christ I didn't book tickets!

Ive got a whole weekend booked around this mofo 😐

but its gonna be great! 😊⭐️🎉👍

Cool! I hope so.  I've never heard of two of the leads. Miss Ball and Miss Head do reasonably interest me, but I'm sorry La Burke is no Svetlana, in any universe.

[theatreian]

It seems there must have been problems casting and they have had to get replacements at the last minute. No disrespect to those named if that is true but I was expecting a different sort of cast.

[BurlyBeaR]

[Tibidabo]

If it is true this thread is gonna get all serious. And cross.

And we were having such fun.

So who's the expensive one out of that lot then? We're obviously paying for someone's nursing home.

[shady23]

That cast is not going to sell tickets. They had Ms Close a couple of years ago for goodness sake. Emma Thompson before that!!

Very disappointing if true. Certainly does just sound like one fan wrote their wish list. Doesn't seem to gel together at all!

[Being Alive]

I’m actually quite cross about Burke.
I just don’t understand why people think she has any business in theatre. Both of the shows she’s done had the scores lowered to a ridiculous pitch.
La Ball is also a hilarious choice - why is he voice of the month all of a sudden?!
Cassidy will be a great Florence, but it’s not a name I was expecting.
I don’t know the others. I think we all knew this was likely to be a disaster. Chess is just such an odd choice if they aren’t going to get massive names in it (a la Albert Hall)
I kinda wish the Menzel deal had come through now - they really did try her for ages!

[shady23]

Well we had Boe last year so we might as well have the other one! 😂

[Being Alive]

Feb 12, 2018 23:03:48 GMT shady23 said:

Well we had Boe last year so we might as well have the other one! 😂

Well there is that I guess 🙄

[BurlyBeaR]

Before we all start getting huffy have we actually got any basis for this so-called rumour on Facebook?

Because it was Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert a few hours ago.

[centaured]

Feb 12, 2018 22:27:39 GMT Tibidabo said:

If it is true this thread is gonna get all serious. And cross.

And we were having such fun.

So who's the expensive one out of that lot then? We're obviously paying for someone's nursing home.

ROFL

If it is Ms Burke, I’m taking tomato’s to throw at the stage in disgust.

[Deleted]

Wasn't Tim Howar married to Ruthie Henshall at one point??

[oxfordsimon]

It could be worse, it could be Boe and Ball as the two players.

[oxfordsimon]

Feb 12, 2018 23:29:30 GMT @tbfl said:

Wasn't Tim Howar married to Ruthie Henshall at one point??

According to Wikipedia, yes

I had never encountered his name - so did a quick google.

[Deleted]

If i recall it was around the time they were both in Peggy Sue Got Married (a show that deserved to run far longer than it did!)

I'll duck now, but i dont have that much of a problem with Alexandra Burke being in it. I'm more disappointed that they couldn't get a much more interesting name to play Florence.

Do they really expect Ball and Burke to fill the Coliseum??

[oxfordsimon]

Ball and Burke don't make for a very convincing married couple. The age gap alone makes it lack credibility.

[chess]

Feb 12, 2018 23:11:53 GMT BurlyBeaR said:

Before we all start getting huffy have we actually got any basis for this so-called rumour on Facebook?

Because it was Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert a few hours ago.

I can testify that the source is very reliable.
I had rather seen a younger cast all together, but Michael Ball can sing a good anthem.