their Hollywood contemporaries. Writer David Eldridge adapted the film for an English stage production, to be directed by Rufus Norris. The simplicity of the filmâs production and direction allowed for a smooth transfer from the screen to the more intimate environment of a theatrical production.
The action of the play unfolds over the course of two days of festivities as a family gather for the 60th birthday celebrations of its patriarch, Helge. Three of his children are present: Christian, Michael and Mette (Christianâs twin, Linda, having recently committed suicide for reasons that later become apparent). During the party, Christian reveals that Helge sexually abused both him and Linda when they were children and, from this shocking disclosure, the tension of the play builds.
In this production, Christian, Michael and Mette were played by Jonny Lee Miller, Tom Hardy and Claire Rushbrook respectively. The production as a whole received unanimous critical acclaim: the writing, the sound staging, the set design, the direction and the acting were all deemed to be outstanding and it was agreed that an intense and powerful drama had been created and executed perfectly. âThis Festen is an embodiment of what theatre should be,â proclaimed Paul Taylor in the Independent .
Tomâs character, Michael, is an aggressive brute of a man who is shown to be a racist and a bully. Once more, the actorâs job involved getting to grips with the dark underbellyof human nature and, true to form, Tom gave a captivating and nuanced performance. Michael Coveney of the Daily Mail referred to him as âelectrifyingâ while Tomâs long-time supporter Nicholas De Jongh said he turned in a âremarkable, quicksilver performanceâ.
Speaking about the succession of troubled characters he had brought to life for the stage, Tom commented: âI do feel alive when I play these characters, like I owe them something. Thereâs no such thing as a coincidence.â His experiences of the bleaker side of life were still feeding into his work and illuminating his characters with an authenticity that was continuing to attract a lot of positive attention. While Tomâs own experiences helped him to have an affinity with some of the disturbed characters he played, he was always aware that it was not within his remit to impose his own opinions or personality on them.
Having finished his stint at the Almeida, Tom journeyed across the River Thames to south London, where he undertook another fringe play, Roger and Vanessa , this time at Theatre 503, a small performance space above the Latchmere pub in Clapham. The decision to stage the play had come about when Tom happened to meet the playâs American writer, Brett C Leonard. This fortuitous encounter occurred at RADA, where a rehearsed reading of the play was taking place as part of a showcase of American writersâ work. Coincidentally, at this reading, the part of Roger was taken by none other than Stephen Adly Guirgis, the writer of In Arabia Weâd All Be Kings , the play that had been responsible for launching Tomâs career.
Tom felt a connection with both the playwright and hiswork and, in his typically energetic fashion, decided he wanted to stage the play himself as soon as possible. Getting Roger and Vanessa off the ground was a frenetic experience for all involved. The ethos behind the enterprise was for the play to be brought together at lightning speed, and for the professionals involved to fit it in around their usual work commitments. Tom, who would play Roger, had just finished his run in Festen and was tied up with filming the TV drama Colditz . Linda Park, the American actress who was to play Vanessa, was flown in from LA during a gap in her schedule. Robert Delamere, with whom Tom had worked on In Arabia Weâd All Be Kings , was enlisted to direct and had a production opening at the Almeida just 24 hours after Roger and Vanessa
The action of the play unfolds over the course of two days of festivities as a family gather for the 60th birthday celebrations of its patriarch, Helge. Three of his children are present: Christian, Michael and Mette (Christianâs twin, Linda, having recently committed suicide for reasons that later become apparent). During the party, Christian reveals that Helge sexually abused both him and Linda when they were children and, from this shocking disclosure, the tension of the play builds.
In this production, Christian, Michael and Mette were played by Jonny Lee Miller, Tom Hardy and Claire Rushbrook respectively. The production as a whole received unanimous critical acclaim: the writing, the sound staging, the set design, the direction and the acting were all deemed to be outstanding and it was agreed that an intense and powerful drama had been created and executed perfectly. âThis Festen is an embodiment of what theatre should be,â proclaimed Paul Taylor in the Independent .
Tomâs character, Michael, is an aggressive brute of a man who is shown to be a racist and a bully. Once more, the actorâs job involved getting to grips with the dark underbellyof human nature and, true to form, Tom gave a captivating and nuanced performance. Michael Coveney of the Daily Mail referred to him as âelectrifyingâ while Tomâs long-time supporter Nicholas De Jongh said he turned in a âremarkable, quicksilver performanceâ.
Speaking about the succession of troubled characters he had brought to life for the stage, Tom commented: âI do feel alive when I play these characters, like I owe them something. Thereâs no such thing as a coincidence.â His experiences of the bleaker side of life were still feeding into his work and illuminating his characters with an authenticity that was continuing to attract a lot of positive attention. While Tomâs own experiences helped him to have an affinity with some of the disturbed characters he played, he was always aware that it was not within his remit to impose his own opinions or personality on them.
Having finished his stint at the Almeida, Tom journeyed across the River Thames to south London, where he undertook another fringe play, Roger and Vanessa , this time at Theatre 503, a small performance space above the Latchmere pub in Clapham. The decision to stage the play had come about when Tom happened to meet the playâs American writer, Brett C Leonard. This fortuitous encounter occurred at RADA, where a rehearsed reading of the play was taking place as part of a showcase of American writersâ work. Coincidentally, at this reading, the part of Roger was taken by none other than Stephen Adly Guirgis, the writer of In Arabia Weâd All Be Kings , the play that had been responsible for launching Tomâs career.
Tom felt a connection with both the playwright and hiswork and, in his typically energetic fashion, decided he wanted to stage the play himself as soon as possible. Getting Roger and Vanessa off the ground was a frenetic experience for all involved. The ethos behind the enterprise was for the play to be brought together at lightning speed, and for the professionals involved to fit it in around their usual work commitments. Tom, who would play Roger, had just finished his run in Festen and was tied up with filming the TV drama Colditz . Linda Park, the American actress who was to play Vanessa, was flown in from LA during a gap in her schedule. Robert Delamere, with whom Tom had worked on In Arabia Weâd All Be Kings , was enlisted to direct and had a production opening at the Almeida just 24 hours after Roger and Vanessa
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