Aw, I Love Acting!
A thank you to Charles Hutchinson (yes, the same chap that brutally panned Mother Courage) for reserving a few little lines for me in his Evening Press review of the Studio production I recently did:
"Allotments ... unearths a comic talent of the future in James Swanton. Watch him blossom. It's all in the voice..."
Yeah... There's probably a slightly higher gauge of being laughed at than laughing with. And that lugubrious voice that's doomed me to character parts (or alternately crumbs) is NOT MY FAULT, by crimmeny! At least the Theatre Royal didn't supply them an image of me in costume. I mean, which one to pick? The swishy pinstripe suit (good!), the circus clown gear with the six foot shoes, rainbow wig and squeaking horn accessory (bad...), the two drag outfits (ugly, ugly, and most ugliest ugly) or the old man getup (predictable... and ugly)? But yes... it's nice to be acknowledged now and then.
Allotments was an odd play though. It had no storyline, for one thing. There was choral speaking aplenty (shudder), but, funnily enough, it didn't sound like total crap. Some female madman supplied me with fifteen jars of real jam to carry onstage (a dreadful waste - and it all went off on the last night). We were forced to listen to The Rat Pack pounding away in the background as we made costume changes. It was fun, in that slightly sick, twisted way, but not a very satisfying production and it left every little room to think. Nevermind that it came just before the mock exams.
Yet, fun it remained! You can't afford to have any dignity about drama at this age, which offers great freedom! No use getting all hoity-toity until you've built up a worthwhile reputation, which is rather difficult unless you're a talentless pudding of drug-induced hatred and happen to be called Daniel Radcliffe. I will take every single script that comes my way and enjoy it thoroughly! 'Cause at the end of the day, acting is simply an acceptable form of showing off. And that's why it appeals to so many people. You get to keep your soul and reputation (until you're forced into drag... twice), and get rid of all the egotistical, pompous, arrogant vibes onstage. Huzzah!
Also: Boris Karloff is the greatest actor of all time and I will KILL all who defy me.
"Allotments ... unearths a comic talent of the future in James Swanton. Watch him blossom. It's all in the voice..."
Yeah... There's probably a slightly higher gauge of being laughed at than laughing with. And that lugubrious voice that's doomed me to character parts (or alternately crumbs) is NOT MY FAULT, by crimmeny! At least the Theatre Royal didn't supply them an image of me in costume. I mean, which one to pick? The swishy pinstripe suit (good!), the circus clown gear with the six foot shoes, rainbow wig and squeaking horn accessory (bad...), the two drag outfits (ugly, ugly, and most ugliest ugly) or the old man getup (predictable... and ugly)? But yes... it's nice to be acknowledged now and then.
Allotments was an odd play though. It had no storyline, for one thing. There was choral speaking aplenty (shudder), but, funnily enough, it didn't sound like total crap. Some female madman supplied me with fifteen jars of real jam to carry onstage (a dreadful waste - and it all went off on the last night). We were forced to listen to The Rat Pack pounding away in the background as we made costume changes. It was fun, in that slightly sick, twisted way, but not a very satisfying production and it left every little room to think. Nevermind that it came just before the mock exams.
Yet, fun it remained! You can't afford to have any dignity about drama at this age, which offers great freedom! No use getting all hoity-toity until you've built up a worthwhile reputation, which is rather difficult unless you're a talentless pudding of drug-induced hatred and happen to be called Daniel Radcliffe. I will take every single script that comes my way and enjoy it thoroughly! 'Cause at the end of the day, acting is simply an acceptable form of showing off. And that's why it appeals to so many people. You get to keep your soul and reputation (until you're forced into drag... twice), and get rid of all the egotistical, pompous, arrogant vibes onstage. Huzzah!
Also: Boris Karloff is the greatest actor of all time and I will KILL all who defy me.
posted by James C. Swanton at 12:02 PM
1 Comments:
guys in drag are hot.
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