Thread to talk about the actor Tom Hiddleston
>>149 And last night probably wasn't the last "special" performance. There's one more night in each remaining week that wasn't sold by ballot. (I was wondering why they'd do a Mon. show and be dark on a Tuesday. Now we know.) Wonder how they choose who got to attend last night - bet it wasn't by lottery! Interesting choices when it seems as if U.K. theatre is perceived by many as exclusive. It would irk me less if they could just have gotten their stories straight. "It's a fundraiser! No, it's not about making lots of money! Critics must do the ballot - but if your trade paper complains enough, one of your critics will get to see it by iinvitation!" Sheesh.
>>139 Yeah, I thought it was worth sharing a bit since it's well written for a lust posting! I could see Hamlet crying (he is in mourning, after all), but not for 75% of his time onstage. Tom does cry really, really well, though - another talent he got to showcase in this.
>>146, >>148, >>150 But - haven't many people who've met Tom commented that he smells really nice? (Every time he's on The View, at least one of the women comments on that.) My theory is that some women are already so attracted to him that when they meet him, they can pick up on his pheromones!
In the Early Man trailer, I think Tom got his accent from the French knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRiPQ8YNrVs (Lord Nooth enters at around 0:40).
So let me get this straight, the woman with the mentality of a teenager who met Tom on the tube also went to the Hamlet play and sniffed him?
It must be creepy that Tom saw that girl yet again. Me thinks he has a stalker now.
Wish these losers actually got an actual boyfriend instead of trying to go after a fantasy.
>>149 Agreed. I have a problem with that as well. It just wasn't needed. Then again the whole authentic sincerity spiels where they are not needed is something I've always had an issue with when it comes to TH. I understand that he wasn't behind all of the RADAHamlet ones himself but these unnecessary authentic sincerity backstories seem to be a running theme with whatever he's involved in.
There's going to be more of these non public performances that are for networking and I don't know how the fans will react when they get wind of it.
Haven't listened to it yet but this audio for one of the accessible performances is supposed to give some details of the staging: https://t.co/FGAHzL4z4n?amp=1
>>155 A text version of that descriptive introduction is here: http://vocaleyes.co.uk/?request_file=4394 . I found it interesting especially for glimpses of how the other characters are being played.
>>154 An anon posted yesterday to the crazy clever one' tumblr about the non-public performance on Wed. The CC one's response was to defend it basically as "it's all about the fundraising." Will be interesting to see if more people pick up on this after the private show next week.
Based on a tweet I saw describing the Gala/invitational final preview, they are trying to make these look a little bit about the building campaign. The tweeter mentioned that before the show they were in the old "Drill" space, which I believe is the place RADA wants to turn into its new theatre.
But I agree these are most likely for the networking, and showcasing the actors to important industry types who otherwise might not have seen the show.
>>137 Here's part 2 of the first row review. It's just as long as part 1: http://imaginaryboyfriendcollection.tumblr.com/post/165192560687/hiddlehamlet-a-firsthand-account-part-ii
There's more unabashed fangirling, mixed with the actual play review.
The former: "Dancing. IT HAPPENS. Only for a minute, but it is glorious. The first entry of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern comes with a beats pill playing danceable music (Kendrick Lamar, I think?) and they all bust out a few moves. I gasped. Snake-hipping, y’all! In the middle of Hamlet! Bless you, Sir Kenneth Branagh."
The latter: "His anger and sadness, though, were harrowing to behold. The scene in the very beginning where Hamlet comes out onto a nearly dark stage to play piano and sing is haunting - his pain is palpable, and the entire audience was hanging on his every word and motion. It was like a shot straight to the heart to begin the production...This is supposed to be Hamlet alone in his sorrow, not performing for anyone as he does in other scenes throughout the play. The moment feels incredibly authentic, illustrating perfectly Hamlet’s current frame of mind, and it sets the tone for Tom’s entire performance."
>>158 Is this going to be a six part series? Another 'review.' The fangirling is front and center and greatly colors any information about the play itself. She also indulges in that timeworn fallacy of assuming the entire audience felt the same way she did. '...the entire audience was hanging on his every word....' You mean they were quiet and watching the play, like a theatre audience, rather than trying to sniff him loudly?
>>159 'Review' is a relative term. Any place she was not talking about his body.
From fans, this is probably the reaction he wanted. That slightly obsessive and very flattering gushing. It helps to drown out those Complaining about the ballot. Considering the reviews from critics are also very good, this is going to plan.
It will now segue into Thor promo, where he can shine if he isn't overexposed and handles himself well.
>>158 Didn't I tell you? Snake-hips Hamlet!
>>158, >>161 Oh lawd. Funny voices for the skull? But Hamlet isn't supposed to be playing mad in that scene.... I don't know whether to be annoyed that the rest of us may never get to see this to judge for ourselves whether all the "business" works in context, or to be glad that we may be spared these ideas of what makes Hamet relatable.
>>161 The more I read about this, the more I agree that this production, or at least Tom's performance, was aimed as much at the fans as at his serious actor rep. Over the weekend, a fan's series of tweets talked about him saying some of the monologues right.to.her, and said he gave her a nod and a wink during the curtain call. Yes, a grain of salt needs to be taken, but the fan's mother also noticed Tom doing this. He really can't seem to control his need for attention/adulation, can he?
A blogger review (not fangirlish) with more details of KB's choices and some of the other performances. Interesting that Ophelia is pregnant? And per this person, Tom is making eye contact with the audience during his soliloquies. http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fthefeministmonster.wordpress.com%2F2017%2F09%2F11%2Freview-hamlet-at-jerwood-vanbrugh-theatre%2F&t=ZTUwNGZkOWQyYzMwNjZmMGY0MTE3NjQ3NzI3OWE5ZDQ4ZjMwZTNkMixRVENHRzUzTg%3D%3D&b=t%3AwtihBn2-rFBsXVQ3xZvuag&p=http%3A%2F%2Finsanely-smart.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F165227234193%2Freview-hamlet-at-jerwood-vanbrugh-theatre&m=1
Why is he catering to his fans so much when those same fans hated him with a passion for dating a pop star. He's 36 years old and still pandering to his over entitled annoying fanbase. He needs to grow up and this interpretation of Hamlet sounds incredibly dumb. I hope Andrew Scott takes awards for his Hamlet. Humping a couch and dancing...he's ridiculous. He's as immature as his fans
>>159>>161 Yeah, these Tumblr fan reviews aren't reviews of the play or his acting. It's just accounts of Tom's looks, his body, and a competition of "he looked directly at me!" "Oh yeah? Well he winked and grinned and looked at me" "pfft well he blew a kiss at me and now I'm carrying baby hiddles so take that bitches". It's all fantasy projection and fan competition.
>>162>>164 I'm sure he preens and adores the applause and attention but it's probably normal Tom levels. I don't think it's as ridiculous as these fans are making it sound. The music, the dancing, the couch humping (I've read such different accounts of the famous couch humping that I can't tell if it's actual humping anymore or just one quick suggestive hip thrust that's being overblown), it probably all works well within the context of the play but when these fans write it through their fantasy lens, it starts to sound like a montage of Tom's most embarrassing moments. Tumblr fan reviews on Tom anything are always focused on him and their fantasies than the actual work or truth of what actually happened so it always makes me laugh when these fans tack on the obligatory "but the play was true art! I wish he'd do more art"...yeah we can tell how much you appreciated the art lol
>>164 I don't think these 'encounters' should be considered catering or pandering. And I didn't intend to suggest this with my comments. This would be pandering if he were actually making eye contact with audience members. Without knowing the theatre, I can't be completely certain, but it's hard to pick out a particular person in a darkened audience from a lit stage. The exaggeration may be giving a different impression of what is actually happening.
I've heard good things about the Pinter (I think that's where it is) Hamlet, but again reviews make it sound 'interesting' too. Will TH be eligible for any awards? I don't know the criteria well enough.
>>166 Once long ago I attended a party after a performance of the Histories at the RSC (both tetralogies over 4 days!). The actor playing Jack Cade and I talked about a soliloquy he did when Cade fantasises about the women he will get when his rebellion succeeds. I was on the front row (large theatre with thrust stage, lights down over audience during performance, i.e. bigger than this theatre but otherwise similar in feel and layout). He was standing very close to me and I felt he delivered the whole speech to me as he was looking right at me throughout. During the party I met the actor and told him how unnerving it felt - like the fourth wall wasn't really there any more (something the RSC does well but never better than at this moment). One of the things I asked him was whether he could actually see me. The answer I got surprised me. Absolutely he said. As long as the spots are not right in your eyes, which they aren't as they would dazzle you, on a thrust stage as opposed to a proscenium arch, you can see a lot. He told me that for that speech he always homed in on a young woman in the front couple of rows, and delivered the speech to her. It helped him capture Cade's mood in that speech. These women might not be entirely wrong when they say TH was looking right at them, choosing someone to wink at etc.
If I had just performed Hamlet I'd preen and enjoy the applause!! It's had good reviews and he is apparently one of the highlights (not just for the fans). I think he is entitled to bask in the applause for his performance. (I know you aren't saying he shouldn't)
My beef with it was always different - the readymade rehab from Uncle Ken and the problematic relationship of that objective to the fundraising objective, plus the "strange" way thag there turned out to be a show a week for all the mates, agents, hangers on etc.
Thank you for the insight that we are getting an edited perspective with the fangirling elements front and centre. I think you are right and that it's skewing perspective. Written like this Coriolanus would have been all about the shower scene and the snog with Aufidius (though there is textual support for the latter). It didn't feel like that when I watched it.
>>162 I think he and Sir K are trying to walk a very thin line in regards to 'audience.' He needs to win back fans, the Guardian, HW big wigs and Tumblr all while couching it in a robe of charity. It's a big ask.
>>162 I think he does have trouble controlling his need for attention and adulation. That seems to be part and parcel of wanting to be a big HW star. Toss in a desire for acceptance and recognition and it can be cringey. It's not terribly different from what most people want, but the scale seems bigger (maybe necessarily so) as he's an actor.
>>165 You're correct in that there is definitely a fantasy lens when it comes to TH, a pretty thick one smeared with vaseline. Hard to tell what it real and what is embellished beyond recognition with accounts from fans. I saw him at the Times Talk and instantly declared HL the winner of that evening - knock out in the first round winner. Reading accounts of it later on tumblr and twitter, I realized that I didn't have my fan glasses on because everyone was gushing about TH.
>>165 Do more art...where you're naked...and dance...and hump furniture...and I can smell your man musk.
>>165 Agree with Anon in >>168 re: thanks for the reminder that we are seeing the production largely filtered through fangirl write-ups. >>168 And thanks, Anon, for the comparison with Coriolanus. I was going to ask those of you who've been at this longer than I have how the tweets/tumbler/blogs for RadHam compare with those from TH's previous live shows.
>>166, >>167 It usually is hard to see from a stage into the audience, but it does depend on the lighting. I think some of the fan reviews have said that Hamlet's soliloquies are darkly lit, and this audience is practically sitting on top of the actors, so Tom may be able to see them more than usual. And I don't think it's really unusual for an actor to pick a point of focus, including an audience member; it's certainly a common technique in public speaking. That said, Tom is nearsighted, so he may just be making "eye contact" with what to him is a blurry oval!
>>169 I keep remembering the KSI promo interview he did with some Korean semi-celebrity guy. Every time he said or did something possibly amusing, Tom looked off-camera to his publicity person for her feedback/reaction. I think his neediness in this regard shows more than it may with other actors because when he was younger, he got away with it showing through because it was "cute," his face is very expressive even for an actor, and he might really have a bit more need for reinforcement than other actors do.
No idea if this is a regular reviewer or not, but here it is: http://www.westendwilma.com/review-tom-hiddleston-hamlet-rada/
If anyone's interested in more staging details and some idea of which scenes were cut or moved, there's a four-part series here (yes, some fangirling, but not too much - at this point I'm just posting stuff if I think it adds some insight): http://hiddlescheekbones.tumblr.com/post/165272043814/hamlet-at-rada-a-very-long-and-very-detailed
I hope that the drama professor mentioned in these writes up her impressions at some point.
Yep, they're definitely doing invitation-only events on the "dark" nights. Someone from a PR firm posted a photo of the special invitation. She's since deleted the tweet, but it's captured here: http://insanely-smart.tumblr.com/post/165294258543/twittercomprmattersukstatus907907769193209857
I saw a few other tweets about last night's event - another PR person, an agent, and one random guy.
>>167 I've had similar experiences with actors/ actresses making prolonged or frequent eye contact during a performance. At a performance of Midsummer Night's Dream, the actress playing Helena made frequent eye contact with me throughout her scenes because I kept laughing at the humor she brought to her Helena, it was different than the usual way I've seen Helena done and I was loving it. The actress told me afterwards that I was one of the few in her line of sight who caught on to the humor and that's why she'd focus on me during some of her scenes, it helped with her performance. I think connecting with the character and audience through eye contact is probably a more common practice among theater actors than we realize, and not the love/ lust at first sight some of these Tumblr fans keep trying to insinuate.
>>168 From all non fan accounts, it does sound like Tom put on a great performance so kudos to him. Preen away, THids! I'm in the same boat as you when it comes to the hoopla surrounding the play. The "we've been wanting to work for 7 yrs!" flimsy excuse to hide lack of non-Marvel projects to the overblown charity and ballot bit when they knew there would be nights reserved for exclusive guests for networking. Maybe just stay quiet there, no need to address every single thing.
>>170 I agree. I like Tom, his personality has its own charm even if it's on the puppy side, and his acting talent is good. But I disagree with his fans when they act like he's the first good looking actor to ever have acted ever in the history of humanity and everything else doesn't matter. Currently, many of them are being so personally offended because they don't think Loki is being promoted enough for Ragnarok and are venting that Loki is the real money maker and should be front and center. Forget the fact that it's a movie about Thor (it's in the damn name ffs) and it should center around him, and not the secondary Loki character. I guess that's most obsessive fans of any celebrity but it doesn't make it any less obnoxious though.
>>172 The critic and non fan reviews just confirm what most of us knew all along, that Tom is a good actor and has potential to be a great one. Too bad he doesn't have the patience to keep at it and steer clear of the tabloid aspect. Succumbing to cheap tactics like PRmances with pop stars and pap walks with FWB co-stars take away from the talent he has to offer and make him a non option for good solid roles that may not be lead but could become award worthy with his performance.
>>174 This was all bound to come out. That's why they shouldn't have gone on and on about the fairness of the ballot bs. Clearly it's all business but to those unfamiliar, it seems underhanded and unfair. Some of TH fans who think he does art for art's sake and is all about the acting will certainly have something to say. Wait for the thesis length posts on Tumblr.
>>174 I'm surprised that there hasn't been more noise in the fandom about the reserved nights. (Anons have brought it up several times on the crazy clever one's tumblr, but she's shushed them each time.) Maybe RADA lucked out that the first one came to light long enough after the balloting had ended that people had recovered sufficiently from their disappointment and took the news stoically, or fans are still buying that those shows are for fundraising with bigger potential donors. Maybe those nights do have at least some donors, but the attendees who've tweeted about them are clearly in the business. The great chain of backscratching continues! (I wonder if the PR woman who tweeted a copy of her invitation took it down because she was getting questions, or because RADA asked her to nix it....)
Something good will come out of the backscratching nights, though - the newer actors in the cast are getting great exposure to agents, PR people, and so on!
In other news, this article about Cumberbatch's career contrasts him with Tom (though mostly in terms of Tom not having as many haters): https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/benedict-cumberbatch-whitewashing-gypsy-boy/
I think it raises an interesting point, though - has Tom been less successful than, say, BC because he's tried for variety in his choice of roles? (Loki aside, of course.) Or is the difference in their levels of success due to BC having a five-year head start? Or some other factors?
I am not surprised that the fans have sucked up whatever justification RADA provides about the freeloader nights. The well known blogs are by and large deeply and almost perversely uncritical of him and also of anyone/thing associated with him.
Until, that is, the person or thing ceases to be associated with him. The best example is TS. When she and Tom "got together" there was a lot of chat from anons and in the media about her habit of pap strolling with boyf and useful accessory such as small child. Also about her silence when far right organisations used her image without permission, her problematic squad version of feminism etc etc.
The big tumblr blogs just refused point blank to engage with this and said that if TH was with her she must be an amazing unicorn and that anyone who criticised her for any reason was a hater (of him). Then when they split all the blogs magically started posting articles about her problematic feminism etc!!
My favourite example was at the height of the relationship when GossipCop issued one of its usual bullshit denials of an obviously true story, and her fans leapt in to say that the "source" was Tree Paine (her publicist) and that she was the source for all GC's TS stories, therefore the denial was accurate.
I said, hang on, about 36 hours before she split with CH, didn't GC write a story denying that they had a problem? Did that come from Tree as well? And doesn't that mean that Tree lies to the press? The contortions that the fans went into in order to defend TS (and her publicist!) were amazing:
(1) there is a special wording that GC uses when it is using TP as a source ("sources close to TS say") and this wasn't one of those articles
(2) GC is a shit rag which makes stuff up like all the rest of the webloids (only not, of course, when it is supporting Tayto, when it is a reliable, biblically true source)
(3) the story was from Tree but she didn't know at the time that TS has split with Calvin, which TS had kept from her
(4) the story was from Tree and IT WAS TRUE because Taylor had not at that time decided to split with Calvin, which happened and was announced to the press within the next 36 hours
Many of these explanations came from the same people. I pointed out that these couldn't all be true and several people unfollowed me because I was a hater and ruining the fandom with my negative energy. They all piled onto TS as soon as the split happened, believe me.
>>179, >>180 Despite their claims to logic, some of those blogs don't take any hint of criticism or questioning kindly. The main nanny tumblr I watch jumped down the throat of an anon who dared to suggest that this pure fundraiser might also might benefit TH's career....
Speaking of which, kudos again to whoever planned this, for the timing in particular. The initial heavy RadHam coverage has segued beautifully into the next round of T:R videos/articles, and the first true trailer for EM. Links to any TS-related stuff have almost vanished from the first page of Tom's Google results.
Let's hope he doesn't pay too much attention to faces in the audience, because Berlinale got a ticket after all! Supposedly someone's +1, going next week. She's getting shit for it on tumblr. Perhaps this is why Tom's bodyguard was seen in the audience for at least one performance!
RADA may be watching for certain fangirls. This is the one who got a ticket by taking over someone else's successful ballot - sounds like she was questioned at the box office. Too bad RADA has no way of knowing whether or not money changed hands. https://twitterDOTcom/claireyfairy1/status/908458824381628416
>>181 Shiiiiiiiit. She's considering interrupting the play to ask about the scratches on his neck in a movie from 2007. Completely reasonable, right?? This is HER chance and mean ole HL isn't there to snatch it cruelly from her. Tom totally wants her to ask; she can see it in his eyes.
>>182 Oooo yeah, she's blaming it on TH's fans - https://twitter.
com/claireyfairy1/status/908674015673356288
>>181 >>183 Yep, the new bodyguard has been there to help scope out the audience. There's an unconfirmed lady stalker rumor, but I think it's general security because of nutters.
Been waiting for the perfect moment to tell the following story. It's not about a nutter, and I'll give you the supershort version: a former huge TH fan with a very popular Tom tumblr went to a red carpet event and brought a couple of pictures for him to sign. It would be the 2nd time she'd seen him in person and gotten an autograph. He eventually got to her and her friend. He looks directly at her for several seconds like he recognized her, reached over to sign her friend's picture, then walked away to someone else. A deliberate snub. Was it because he thought she was just collecting autographs to resell on eBay? Was it because his security were watching her tumblr, and showed him her picture so he can be aware of her?
Like I said, hers was only a picture reblog tumblr. She almost never made original text posts about him, or participated in the back and forth with people lusting over him. Based on that I wouldn't have considered her a security risk but maybe she was doing something else on the side we don't know about. However, if not, If he snubbed her for no other reason than recognizing her from the first time and not wanting to give her more autographs, then 1. why are there other fans who he's taken selfies with multiple times and 2. what will happen if he spots Berlinale in the audience, mid-sentence?
>>184 I've seen this girl on a very popular gossip site that i sometimes frequent. She loves showing off vids and pics of her meeting him and giving her hugs. Its gone so far that a foreign site that's dedicated to him has a lot of pictures with him with her to the point I think this girl is obsessed and she has admitted traveling far to his sets just to meet him. She's very nanny-esque with him obviously as well.
I mean his fans are ridiculous. Just because he's nice to you and even gives you a creepy hug--which btw is something he should've never have started to begin with--doesn't mean he's in love with you or you're his soulmate. These girl's and even women who should know better really step over a lot of boundaries, but then again so has TH. And this girl has seen him more then 2 times. I think because she's pretty i guess he doesn't mind giving her attention.
Maybe the reason he snub that girl that you mentioned is because maybe she's not attractive. I'm sure if it was a attractive girl like the girl i mentioned he wouldn't mind signing or taking multiple photographs.
I wonder if he's ever slept with any of his fangirls. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these fangirls lie about their age. TH is partly to blame for this. There's no reason he should be hugging total strangers, especially impressionable girls who get a bit too involved about his life.
>>184 Maybe it wasn't Tumblr or online related at all. If she had more than a few pics/ posters etc and he remembered signing other stuff for her before he might have thought she was collecting autographs to sell online.
>>185 That's a rather large leap...from hugging fans to sleeping with them (though I do agree he shouldn't go around hugging random strangers all the time like that because one never knows). I don't think he's been careless enough to sleep with a civilian groupie type fan, though I'm sure he's probably hooked up with ppl in the industry who are fans of his or fancy him. From what I've seen, it doesn't seem like Tom takes any fan's physical features into consideration when he's doing his usual greeting fans and posing with them routines. I've seen pics and vids of him with fans who range from conventional good looks to quirky to average to everything. That behavior sounds more like something Justin Bieber would do...
>>180 did they label you a "toxic" lol Seems like anyone who disagrees or points out any sort of logic to any of these big TH tumblrs, they're marked as a toxic and the faceless anons are set on them.
>>187 I'm not important enough to be a toxic. Also I had been on here for some time before Tayto (and even before Theo) so I didn't care to engage on tumblr too much.
I think he has always been alert to those who sell autographs. I have seen footage from years ago where he refused to sign for people who had had one already. Most autograph sellers are male but he may have come to the conclusion that anyone with multiple pics on one occasion is a seller. Hence he would sign for or pose with fans he had seen before but only if they had one pic on each occasion.
>>185 I haven't seen any evidence that he goes with fans. Maybe he did in the early days when he wasn't so famous, but I am sure not now. I imagine it is industry types and friends of friends. The age of consent in the U.K. is 16. You would have to be very young indeed to be pretending you were not underage and I think most intelligent men could spot a 15 year old pretending to be older. I have never heard even a hint of TH sleeping with someone underage.
The little RadHam tickets mysteries continue. A young actor tweeted Fri. AM that he and at least one other person were being comp'd by RADA for that night's show. An attendee at one of yesterday's show tweeted that she saw at least four empty seats. A couple of well-known actors (Riz Amhad, Tom Hollander) have been spotted in the house. Did the shows not sell out after all? Are people with tix not showing up? Or (my strong suspicion) did RADA only sell 130 seats but has more seats available for people in the business? (Depending on how it's configured, that theatre can seat up to 160).
>>190 Its totally for industry people. That whole show is not only for Hiddles rebranding but also for Branagh's RADA graduates to get some jobs, agents etc.
I don't like how this play has been advertised. Making it seem like its some charity when its only for a bunch of elite people to meet other elite people. No wonder the UK have a diversity problem with students who can't afford to get into a very expensive school like RADA. It's very unfair for working class people to compete with a "charity play" like that.
>>190 Nanny response: 'RA and THo are such fans of TH that they entered the ballot like everyone else.' Yep.
I went looking for empty seat/comped tweets and the like. Found about a dozen from the start of the run. Also found a woman who described herself as a 'last minute seat filler' courtesy of a friend who works at Rada. Hmmm. The rottenness remains in the state.
>>191 Unknown, to your knowledge, is this the first 'charity play' that RADA has ever done? Have other theaters had charity play short runs like this?
>>193 Good question, Whats. I don't know if Unknown has that specialist knowledge but I bet someone on the board does.
They touted the ballot system as all but revolutionary, so that element seems a first, at least for Rada. When I lived in London I was a semi-frequent theatre goer both on my own dime and on the boyfriend's Citibank client entertaining allowance. I never attended a play at Rada or knew anyone who had attended. Of course I knew of Rada. I don't think they have alumni back to perform/direct in this way but I could be wrong. I have no idea about the fundraising part of this. Maybe every play at Rada is technically a fundraiser as the students don't get paid for it.
This all is just more proof that this seems to be a beast constructed for a particular set of goals.
I have lived in London for many years and have been a committed theatregoer for most of them.
I have never heard of a RADA event of this type
I am sure that they have always had fundraisers and I think I have in the past heard of carols services, concerts, drinks parties. I am also sure that they do graduation shows in which their students perform - this is not least because they can't accept work during the course, so there are well-established structures to enable them to be seen by agents and casting directors. But I haven't ever heard of an alumni play like this.
As for other theatres - they do have schmoozing events like meet the cast, drinks parties, talks. The Donmar has guaranteed allocations of tickets for significant donors (for which they pay) and for very big donors a complimentary performance with pre and post show drinks and talks: https://www.donmarwarehouse.com/support/membership/ Fair enough as you have to donate £1750 a year to get that.
But it is the other way around from how the nannies envisage - you donate first and you get invited to the event after, as a reward for your support. They don't go out on the streets looking for rich people interested in theatre and invite them along hoping they might donate.
As far as I can see, the big difference for the RADA special performance nights, and the mysterious additional tickets, is that they are not pegged to a previous donation.
I am sure that some attendees have donated lots - David Attenborough clearly has, whether directly or through Richard Attenborough's legacies. I also imagine that KB himself has been a big donor as he has been a loyal supporter of RADA over the years. But the only actual criterion for attendance at the rehearsal do was being a graduate of RADA. I am also fairly sure that the "spare" tickets were, if not comped, sold for face value, whereas the Donmar special ticket allocation for sold out performances has to be paid for, and only goes to those who have made big donations.
Every person who goes to a special members' production at the Donmar "for free" has made a donation of at least £1750. If that was how they allocated these seats for the "dark" nights I am sure that nobody would query it. The fact that nobody at RADA has said this suggests to me that that isn't what is going on here.
Tidbits of possible interest:
Tom, being cradled deep in Ken's bosom; never has his PR been this good. But who else would be as loving as a mentor who's also had his ups and downs.
"Kenneth Branagh interview: 'Tom Hiddleston and I were always honest about Hamlet' "
Excerpts:
Tickets for his pop-up performance at RADA – allocated by ballot for the three-week run – have been like gold dust and there has been much wailing and teeth gnashing from those, including critics, excluded from this collector’s item event. Even the Guardian’s film critic pleaded for the production to be “beamed into Britain’s movie theatres”.
That’s not going to happen, Sir Ken affirms as the final performances loom this weekend, arguing that the 160-seater Vanbrugh “isn’t set up to do a big-screen transfer – though I embrace that idea in other venues. I am pro accessibility”. He also rules out the production having a further life. “We have been honest from the word go. No one was in an option to go to the West End – and there have been no conversations with Tom about doing it again down the line.”
Rather incredibly, neither he nor Hiddleston seems to have fully anticipated the demand. “I’m very, very surprised at the amount of attention it has got,” he confesses, suavely dressed in dark blue blazer and jeans, still boyish at 56. His leading man even worried there might be empty seats. “We thought we should do a ballot, because we knew he had fans, but Tom was very sweet about it and genuinely asked ‘Do you think we’ll sell out?’”
***
For Hiddleston, a formidable Coriolanus at the Donmar in 2013, the challenge was to stretch himself at close quarters: “He wanted to discover an emotional depth that might have surprised people who consider him a cerebral actor.” In an interpolated opening scene, the audience sees the black clad prince of Denmark at the piano mourning his dead father in song – “He’s this raw, grieving thing,” says Branagh.
***
As for Hiddleston, fans shouldn’t feel distraught. “I’ve played Hamlet in four different productions, Derek Jacobi played it hundreds of times. And I’m sure Tom is interested in playing Benedick and Richard III. So, the public need to be assured that there will be a lot of pleasure coming our way.” Watch this space.
>>198 Oh yes - Tom's PR team should hire Sir Ken! (Though I did sense that KB might be a mite peeved that most of the attention for the production was for Tom, not for Tom and the director. Even this interview spent more time on RadHam than on KB's upcoming MotOE. And you'll note that KB doesn't talk about wanting to do more Shakespeare with Tom.)
I don't buy that KB is "very very surprised at the amount of attention." Everything about the production was designed precisely to get as much attention as possible - especially not comp'ing the critics, which probably got the show even more press than it otherwise would have received. I can see Tom being insecure about it selling out, though.
So that's that, except for some straggling reviews from attendees. We may be a little Hamletted-out on here, so I won't bother posting any unless there's something really unusual.
Oh, a question for the UK-theatre goers. What does it mean when a performance is described as "very RADA" or "too RADA"?
>>198 This was unintentionally hilarious in several respects. After an anecdote I heard recently from someone who has met him, I can however believe the neediness of the "will it sell out?" story.
It seems that Cumberbatch did mysteriously manage to acquire a seat for the last night. He must have made his wife go in the ballot too. https://diariesofatravelingclassicist.wordpress.com/2017/09/24/750/
>>200 I think it means too posh, mannered, flaring nostrils, over-dramatic, a bit queeny, etc. Does that help? In the old days theatre types were often called "luvvies" in Britain because the stereotype was that they called one another and everyone else "love" or "luvvy" all the time. You don't hear that as a term of abuse very often now. TH is not wholly immune to this as he does call a lot of people darling, even fans he has never met.
>>201 Can you say more about the anecdote (only if you're comfortable doing so, of course)? And what else did you find funny in the article?
Yes, so mysterious how that worked. Helena Bonham Carter was at one of the other public performances earlier in the week. Maybe there were celebrity smack-downs happening in the parking lot to see who would get a returned ticket!
That does help about "too RADA" - I was guessing it was something like "affected, too stagy," and so forth.
Ok anecdote. The person I met worked closely with him and still sees him for pub nights out etc. Apparently very charming and gentlemanly but also buttock-clenchingly earnest and desirous of approval (this from a man, and not from a famous one either). Thus far, thus fairly unsurprising, save that the neediness must be pretty noticeable if a regular bloke can spot it.
The specific anecdote relates to an encounter at a party between TH and Jude Law.
The latter, as you will know, is not a tall man (I can confirm this having met him twice - once on the street and once in a restaurant). He apparently deals with this by invading one's personal space during conversation, meaning standing very very close and drawing himself up to his full 5 foot 6.
Anyway, all eyes were on how these two alpha gorillas would deal with one another - Law playing to TH's insecurities by being more famous, and TH playing to Law's by being 9 inches taller. I am told that Law had a go at standing close but realised quite quickly that this wasn't really working given TH's height!! They apparently spent the rest of the evening circling one another slightly mistrustfully and talking in Serious Deep Voices about their "projects.
PS capcha was "Law" !!
Things I thought were funny about the article:
(1) "surprised at the attention Hiddleham got"?!!!!! Come on, Ken! I have loved you for many years, and if my number ever comes up in the One Time Sex With A Celebrity of Your Choice Lottery, I will probably use my ticket on you and not Hiddleston, but you are trying my patience here!!
(2) the moustache picture.
>203 "buttock-clenchingly earnest" "talking in Serious Deep Voices" - you made my day!
>204 Let's hope no one goes to MotOE expecting to lip read, because you can't even tell that KB has a mouth behind that 'stache.
>>199 Yep, Hamletted out except for one last question: why did he wear such tight clothes, as mentioned in most of the reviews in the latter 2 weeks of the run? Proprioceptive issues? Did he gain weight?
>>203 I've read one or more anecdotes and blind items about that particular personality trait as part of an overall insecurity. So the 'will we fill the seats' quote I said 'really, not again dude'
>>204 I'll use mine on Idris Elba.
>>203 My hubby and I were talking about the concept of the alpha male a few weeks ago. We were compiling a list: Harrison Ford, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Muhammad Ali, Teddy Roosevelt, George Washington, General D. MacArthur, Idris Elba, Daniel Craig.
Based on this, I wouldn't say that either TH and JL are alpha males. The former for his wet rag self confidence and need for approval, the latter for his lack of physical presence and hang-up about it. They are both good looking, charming, and successful in their fields (and with the ladies, though JL provides more proof of that) but neither screams alpha male. To me, at least. Perhaps it depends on the setting, and they were at the top of the totem at that particular party.
QOTD: Is TH alpha? Was he before the shirt and GQ? After? Is the alpha male just a myth?
SQOTD: Who do you use your Celeb Sex Free Pass card on?
>>207 The words "alpha gorillas" were interpolated by me, not without irony, because:
1) they are really not alpha gorilla types
2) they are not at all hairy
3) they like to think they are alpha gorillas
You are right to say that the underlying reason for the phrase was that they were at the top of the tree at that particular gathering - hence the circling/rivalry and the onlookers' mirth.
This lack of self-confidence has got to be cutting deeply into the success of his auditions. Maybe not when it comes to Shakespeare but anything else outside of his comfortable acting box. The depths that some of the more versatile actors go to for roles requires he trusts himself. I know that it's been said here that therapy is not something Brits tend to do, but he needs something to build himself up. Private acting workshop?
I don't know, what so actors do when they need to get their mojo back?
*I don't know, what do actors do when they need to get their mojo back?
>>209 NewAnon has reminded us that many of his roles were either secured through connections, given to him by directors (because he looked like the character), or when others dropped out and he was the next available 'store brand' Brit. The list is long: Thors and Avengers (Sir K); ISTL, MiP (picked by directors); CP, OLLA (store brand Brit replacement); Shit Island (through legendary/CP).
He auditioned for Thor but I think the others landed in his lap. TNM and HR, as I recall, also were presented to him.
He's not had to 'fight' for many of his roles. If he's not very good at auditioning, it's because he's out of practice!
>>211 Whatever mojo was restored by Hamlet, I wonder if it will last. I ask because I get the feeling, mostly from SDCC, that TH won't be two wheeling with T:R promo, as in the past. I think he'll be three wheeling it with Messrs. Hemsworth and Ruffalo. But then add in the director and other stars and suddenly he's on the middle axle of an 18-wheeler - not where he usually is and not where someone with shaky confidence likes to be.
>>206 Now that you mention it, his clothes/costumes didn't look all that tight in the photo shoot pictures. Maybe he started training for Loki (if he's in A4) and bulked up a little. Or maybe it's from leftovers of that delicious-looking catered food.
>>207 QOTD: I don't know if human alpha males are a myth or not, but I think that human males believe in the concept (at least in the US)! TH, I don't see as alpha - he has alpha moments, but mostly looks like an alpha wannabe. And That Shirt did not help. SQOTD: Currently, Aidan Turner.
>>208 Suddenly I'm envisioning TH and JL as those monkeys whose calls are booms!
>>211 (snicker) Though I think you've hit on something - another purpose of RadHam could have been to rebuild not only TH's reputation but his self-confidence.
>>213 It is sounding as though he won't be as prominent in T:R promo as he's been in the past. He might welcome that, though, since it means less chance of awkward questions about HS. (Especially if TS does something else super-duper public about the album during the T:R promos.)
Back to >>209 I think you and Anon are on to something here. Maybe the reason he's not getting the leading man roles he wants is that his insecurity is too noticeable, and that's not a trait associated with most conventional leading men.
>>215 >>209 It's not - which is why for every claim of "HS didn't have an effect on his career" I silently say "the humiliation further eroded already shaky ground"
>>213 >>215 No telling how the T:R promos will be sorted out. I agree with what Anon. said.
>>212 I forgot how long the list of connections was. Add to what you noted: all 3 roles in the Joanna Hogg films and his last 2 stage roles.
>>216 Yes.
I think we have said on here before that pre Hiddleswift he enjoyed a very good relationship with the press. Think of all those Guardian interviews - he was respected and liked. KB talked in that interview about what a hard Tim he had in the press and it is true - he was absolutely pilloried for being earnest, too clever by half, and ambitious. Pre-Tayto, TH wasn't criticised at all for those traits, which he possesses to a degree - it was presented as part of an endearing package. I don't recall reading a single really critical feature or interview (I'm setting aside reviews or CB which is snarky about everything and only gets it secondhand anyway).
The loss of that good standing must have shaken TH deeply. It's evident that he worked hard to be liked in interviews so to have the Guardian just write the snark without hesitation must have stung. I mean, they invited him to the WHCD a few months before.
>>206 >>214 Could be that he stopped or cut back running during the play and he gained wait.
>>217 The backside of "earnest, too clever by half, and ambitious" are overenthusiastic, butt-kissing, know-it-all, which filled some blind items about him during two specific times: the first Avengers movie run and during the dying month of HS (i.e. after she went back to the US), especially the know-it-all part.
I guess when Thor promo starts we'll see if being the hot ticket in town helped boost his confidence. If not maybe he and Sir K. will have been working for years on staging Macbeth in a bathroom...for charity.
What a minefield promo will be now: Tayto, her album promo and all the potential 'bristle' questions about the two. Remember when the top of the promo cringe scale was yodeling and bad accents. Ah, the good old days.
OT for a Sunday morning:
We went to see Wind River on Friday. EO's delivery is still flat as a pancake but that could just be her voice. She and Renner did well with some very one dimensional characters and a plot/script that paced like an obese hamster in its wheel. After seeing it, we were surprised it has such a high RT score.
Hello! Hope all is well. When is baby's first birthday?
I am assuming that October will be another project free month as there is such a short time before Thor 3 promo starts in earnest. Let's hope Hamlet has resulted in lots of enquiries....
In the British press at least the whole Swifty thing has gone rather quiet. She hasn't been up to anything much and I do feel there has been a gear change in how he is regarded. Whatever the snarking in the press about the exclusivity, he got great reviews and he now seems to be regarded as a serious person again. By that I guess I mean interested in the craft and not too obviously gagging to be a star.
Even snark wise there wasn't anything like our level of scepticism, and the mainstream press seems not to have picked up on what was going on with the "dark" nights.
>>220 And Tom will have always wanted to play King Scot in an undiscovered bathroom....
>>221 It's good to hear that the press seems to see him as a serious person again. (Though the Telegraph, in that recent Branagh article, did have to get in "Hiddleston, 36, became a household name in the UK on the back of his brooding (and bottom-baring) turn on The Night Manager"!) I guess it's good that he's back to being snarked for dropping his trousers?
One recent RadHam tidbit from the company that handled the balloting:
"We came up with the idea of a ballot process or lottery, where entrants would be picked at random with the opportunity to book tickets within a specified window of time. Here’s how taking this radical new approach supported RADA’s aims and provided an amazing customer experience at the same.
Note what's number one and what's last, and the acknowledged publicity play in number four.
Also, the technical parts of the article imply to me that had they/RADA wanted to, they could have prevented the complete transfer of successful ballots from winners to others.
https://www.spektrix.com/blog/how-ballot-ticketing-put-rada-in-the-spotlight/
Good spot. Very interesting. I see that a major attraction was offering the opportunity to make an extra donation at the point of sale. I wonder how many actually did so, and how much it raised. On these numbers even if every single person paid an extra fiver it wouldn't have raised a lot. I bet a lot of people didn't add an extra donation as the base price was pretty expensive and yeah.
At the BFI Luminous gala:
>>224 I looked through all of the Getty Images (where that photo is from) to find others of him, 15 pages worth, but that's all they managed to get of him for the night. I couldn't even find a video clip on YouTube. How's that for super-low profile?
Captcha: flaw
BFI again. With a man with an incredibly small head.
A fan had a chance meeting with him today (Wednesday): http://geniaparadox.tumblr.com/post/166045943026/i-am-fucking-losing-it-guys-holy-shit-i-met-tom
Lighting and shadows can age a person, but this photo plus >>224 and >>226 tell me that he's lost a lot of weight because I haven't seen those eyes that sunken and with dark circles since he was at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards in early 2014, about a month after he finished filming ISTL and he was still gaunt from playing a drugged and boozed up Hank.
I don't relish this; I hope that I'm wrong, that he's still at his Loki skinniness and these are badly lit and angled photos.
>>224 When they both have full beards, Tom looks even more like he could be Jeremy Irons's son - couldn't have hurt his casting chances for Henry IV!
>>226 I think it's partly the odd camera angle and partly that that young man hasn't finished his growth - look how loose his tux is.
>>227, >>228 Agree that they are poorly shot photos, especially the 2nd BFI and the fan ones. But also notice that he's not really smiling in any of them, and his smile plays a big part in making him photogenic. He looks quietly annoyed in the fan shot, I think. And maybe he came down with something after RadHam closed. It's not unusual for cast or crew members to get sick after a show ends, since you've been running in high gear for several months.
Wow...he looks really haggard in these new pics. Especially the one with the kid. Like Whatsinaname said, I really hope it's just bad lighting.
It is bad lighting. New pics on Torrilla from Q&A on “Early Man” with Maisie Williams. He looks and sounds good, calm, and grounded. I’m sorry I cant link from my phone.
>>231 He does look good - provided you like beards! (I can't stand this look on him).
I see from the accounts of this publicity thing that Eddie Redmayne couldn't attend and sent a recording. Mmmmm.
>>233 I was just thinking, one big name busy, the other less so!
Thor Ragnarok premiere! In a really bad Gucci suit! Still has beard! https://instagram.com/p/BaF7aWtA4ZG/
>>236 And though you can't tell from these pix, also still has the long hair. Agree this outfit wasn't his best look - wonder if Yrs Truly was involved or not.
In the red carpet interview I saw (live, so no link) he came across pretty well, I thought. Moderate energy and didn't play too much to the pretty interviewers. Maybe the beard represents the new, mature TH.
Apparently the older gent is his dad (via a CB link). I don't think I have ever seen a pic of them together before. I once saw a brief video of the tow of them at another premiere.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DL22VWmXcAE_ZCF?format=jpg&name=small
>>236 It is her: https://instagram.com/p/BaHhGlanClT/
>>239 That is his father. He was also with Tom at the premiere of the first Thor movie. I’m on my phone so I can’t, but if you search YouTube for “Tom Thor Pop Sugar” you should find it.
I meant to reference >>237 for the IG link.
>>238 And so speculation continues over why his contribution to the press has been downplayed. Marvel could be wanting to concentrate more on the Mark/Chris/Taika relationship, and they don’t want there to be a chance of any Loki spoilers getting out by accident. There’s the unsubstantiated stalker rumor and the avoiding ts rumor.
Re Yourstruly - Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhh! Still, no surprise given that the suit was hideous and too tight.
Re PapaHidds - I think this is the video I saw. Oddly he looked older in that vid whereas in this pic he looks younger and pretty dapper. Not devilishly handsome though. It's always so interesting how two people come together and make a child who is great looking. Especially given that the sisters don't look greatly like TH or each other and aren't anywhere near as striking (not that they aren't attractive, but they don't have what I'd call movie star looks).
>>242 TH doesn't have movie star looks either so...His sisters especially his younger sister looks way better then even him.
His father looks really old. They must've made Tom when they were much older then average, even though Tom isn't that old tho he looks older then he actually is which is another story.
Marvel is really pushing the Ruffalo x Hemsworth promotion. TS album hasn't released yet and when it does its around the U.S. premiere of Thor Ragnarok. So they're probably trying to downplay Tom's promotional involvement.
Also its about time Chris actually started promoting his own movie, it always fell on TH to promote it. Then again Loki stans are so vocal and think the movie is all about Loki that Marvel in the past didn't bother pestering Chris to promote it.
4.ch ate my post so I’ll try again:
>>242 Comparing the PopSugar video to last night, his dad has a full head of hair now. At Thor 1 he was balding.
Genetics are fascinating. TH’s older sister has the same blonde hair, big, blue, downturned eyes and smile as he from their mom. Her daughter has the same eyes but with darker hair, of course. Younger sister looks totally different.
>>243 Yes. Unsubstantiated, though.
>>241 The cast did a press panel today and Tom was there, so he's not completely out of the T:R loop. But there are so many possible reasons why he's not nearly as prominent this time around. Me, I find it nice and calming. Now the top articles about him today feature the beard (ex: https://www.gq.com/story/tom-hiddleston-thor-ragnarok-beard ), though saying it makes Tom look "as rugged as Jake Gyllenhaal" isn't much of a compliment in my book....
>>244 I think it depend on how you define movie star looks. I find his somewhat classic, like a Leslie Howard. Also, with TH, a lot depends on the angle from which he's shot. His side profile is pretty near perfect, but in a bad shot straight on, he's all nose and forehead.
>>246 The rumor happened during the T:R reshoots/just before SDCC, I think. It started on LSA with screenshot of a supposed Tumblr post (I'm not an LSA member so I couldn't see the image) that talked about a stalker. Absolutely no other proof than that as far as I've heard.
Guess who is in talks to play Hamlet in a new Brexit-era film for netflix? Tom, not so much. Emmy winner Riz Ahemd! Thrilled for Riz. Still no Shakespeare on the big screen for Tom, yet. Wonder if Tom was in contention for this?
http://deadline.com/2017/10/riz-ahmed-hamlet-shakespeare-netflix-1202189435/
>>248 Good question. I think that thanks to Night Of, Riz is currently a hotter property than Tom, at least over here. (TNM didn't make as much of a splash.) If this happens, it may make it less likely that Tom will do Hamlet onscreen anytime soon, especially with the BBC doing Andrew Scott's version next year. I hope that if Tom wants to get in first with some Shakespearean role he's been eyeing (cough Benedict cough), he does it soon before someone else from his cohort grabs it!
I haven't listened to it, but a summary of the EM interview he did with Masie Williams recently mentioned that he got the EM script in May last year. So that means that (except for Marvel, which was a given, and the mutually-back-scratching RadHam) he hasn't gotten any new projects that we know of in almost 18 months. Gee, wonder what started in May last year that could have affected his career?
Somehow, the EM and T:R promos aren't interesting me (though I'll probably follow EM more when it's closer to release). Anyone else feel that way?
>>249 Yep, I'm not as driven to watch the Thor 3 videos. The rock, paper, scissors cast game was adorable. But overall, I'm happy that Tom is less of a dancing bear through this series of promos. He seems calm, grounded and mature on the red carpet. With that summer PR madness last year, and TS releasing new singles and filming a London-based music video, I think that Tom is content to just talk about the work w his colleagues and not be at the center of some juvenile PR shite storm. And Marvel is not like Legendary with the Kong interviews. Marvel cares way too much about protecting their franchise profits to let reporters ask any personal questions that would distract at all from the agenda of their films. Sadly, I really think that Tom would haven been asked to do at least one late show in the US if not for last summer. And yes, Chris is the hero and Cate is the new villain, but the full Thor 3 cast on a late show together would have been delightful. Would audiences get false impressions about the plot and think that the film was a Loki revenge movie if Tom did any more press? It's not that difficult a concept. BTW, Domhnall Gleeson is on fire landing parts right now w Ex Machina, the Revenant, American Made, Goodbye Christopher Robin and Star Wars. Can Tom steal his agent?!