Tag: play

Kevin Spacey in Speed the Plow, Old Vic – London – review – or not

thegirlinthecafe 5 Comments

Kevin Spacey - Jeff Goldblum - Speed the Plow
Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldblum both star in this 90 minutes-performance-without-a-break (toilet before you go in) American play called Speed the Plow.

When I sat down in the Old Vic and the curtain opened and Kevin Spacey stepped into the light I thought:
“Wow, you lucky bastard. Here you are, living in London, that amazing city, sitting in this wonderful theatre, and one of your very favourite actors is performing right there in front of you. You should consider yourself very lucky.”

And trust me, I do. I sometimes wish I had a remote control (something like this, but in real life) so I could pause and freeze frame the world around me and stay in the moment for a while, just looking around, taking it in.

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Don Juan in Soho, Donmar – review

thegirlinthecafe 2 Comments

Rhys Ifans in Notting Hill« Rhys Ifans in his classic Fancy-a-fuck t-shirt in Notting Hill

To be totally prepared for The Vertical Hour, I am doing a small theatre warming up these weeks. I saw Love Song, Love or Money, and today it was time for Don Juan in Soho. Three plays about Love actually, three very different plays in three different theatres. They are all great and recommended, but this last one was definitely the funniest one.

OK, you have all seen Notting Hill of course. If not go rent it (no Bill isn’t even in it), it is a lovely feel good film, an excellent Christmas watch, written by Richard Curtis, with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in it. Hugh Grants lovely Welsh flatmate in that film, Spike, was played by Rhys Ifans. (The same Rhys Ifans who played against Daniel Craig in Enduring Love by the way, which has in fact Bill in it. By golly, I need to see that film again, Daniel and Bill in one film! Hello, you are rambling again. Oh, yes, sorry.).

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Moon over Spacey

thegirlinthecafe 1 Comment

I haven’t slept well since I wrote my bad review of A Moon For The Misbegotten, I still feel bad about it to be honest, because I have so much respect for Kevin Spacey. I have to stand by my words, even though people have explained to me that O’Neill plays aren’t always easy, but this was how I experienced the play, the acting was terrific, the story just wasn’t my cup of tea. That can happen.

But it pleases me enormously to read that the Independent (review isn’t online yet, I’ll link it up when it is) is raving the play and the actors to hights far beyond the moon today. So does the Guardian (Watching Best and Spacey together is like seeing two desperate people stripping their souls naked.), and the Times (Is there better acting to be found anywhere? I?d be surprised.)

Kevin Spacey gets what he deserves for the hard work and passion he puts in the Old Vic. Now London (critics) better stop nagging, and go appreciate him in stead.

And while we are at it, London, how can you even consider closing the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden. All the people saying that it doesn’t belong in the West End are simply stupid. There, I said it.

A Moon for the Misbegotten review – or Lost in Spacey

thegirlinthecafe 10 Comments


And so I saw The Moon for the Misbegotten. Just a few facts before I give my verdict:
For me Kevin Spacey is the second best actor in the Universe, I think he is fantastic, no matter what he plays.
I also saw him on stage as Richard II in the Old Vic last year, and loved it, despite my total lack of Shakespearian background and my ears not totally geared to tune in to old English.

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