James McAvoy: Macbeth reviews, and 'Neverwhere' cast photo
James McAvoy in Macbeth, Trafalgar Studios, review Macbeth, starring James McAvoy, packs a powerful
punch says Charles Spencer.
James McAvoy and Claire Foy in Macbeth at Trafalgar Studios. Photo: Johan Persson
James McAvoy, best known as a film actor, proves a commanding Macbeth, and the
relationship with his wife is powerfully caught. The text makes it clear
that the couple had a child who died in infancy and McAvoy and Claire Foy as
Lady Macbeth suggest both an undertow of grief and the sense that their
murderous ambition is some kind of sick compensation for their loss.
At the start it is Foy’s Lady Macbeth who leads the way, like a bossy
schoolgirl who has set her heart on becoming head-girl. Unlike his morally
blind wife, however, Macbeth knows what murder will cost, and initially at
least, has a strong sense of what is right. McAvoy thrillingly suggests a
man on the rack of his own guilty mind who learns that the only way to
secure his position and silence his conscience is to become inured to
atrocity with further killings.
He also does full justice to the haunting poetry of the last act in which
Macbeth realises just what he has lost - not least himself and any sense of
purpose or meaning in life. It is the reason that Macbeth is a genuinely
tragic character and not just a serial killer.
Neverwhere
First photo and air date revealed
An exclusive look at the first official cast shot for the Radio 4 adaptation of Neil Gaiman's fantasy drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, Natalie Dormer, Sophie Okonedo and David Harewood
From Radio Times:
As anticipation mounts among fantasy fans ahead of the Radio 4/4 Extra co-production of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, RadioTimes.com can reveal the first exclusive shot of the star-studded cast, which reads like a who's who of cult TV and film. Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch and X-Men's James McAvoy are joined by Game of Thrones and former Fades star Natalie Dormer, Doctor Who alumnus Sophie Okonedo and Homeland's David Harewood for the tale of London Below, an alternate reality beneath the capital where famous landmarks take on a life of their own.
Screen legends Christopher Lee and Bernard Cribbins also star in an adaptation that is being described as an "audio film".
The six-part series begins with an hour-long episode at 6pm on
Saturday 16 March on Radio 4 and continues with five 30-minute
instalments stripped across the week on Radio 4 Extra from Monday 18
March.
More photos and news to follow in the coming weeks...
After seeing Macbeth I happened to end up in the same pub as McAvoy and some co stars - I tried to take a quiet photo of them from across the pub. If McAvoy didn't want a picture, which was actually of his costar John Hopkins, fair enough, but screaming at me and my friends to 'F*CK OFF' was thoroughly unecessary, rude and disprespectful of the admiration that has taken him so far. Will not bother wasting money on supporting his career any further, as he clearly doesn't appreciate it. Not sure why anyone else would bother when presumably they'd receive the same treatment. There were several other ways to handle the situation, which wasn't even related to him. I'm not one for posting on message boards, or being interested in celeb glory or failure, I appreciate their achievements as and when - but this was just ridiculously rude. And his portrayal of Macbeth? Average at best.
After seeing Macbeth I happened to end up in the same pub as McAvoy and some co stars - I tried to take a quiet photo of them from across the pub. If McAvoy didn't want a picture, which was actually of his costar John Hopkins, fair enough, but screaming at me and my friends to 'F*CK OFF' was thoroughly unecessary, rude and disprespectful of the admiration that has taken him so far. Will not bother wasting money on supporting his career any further, as he clearly doesn't appreciate it. Not sure why anyone else would bother when presumably they'd receive the same treatment. There were several other ways to handle the situation, which wasn't even related to him. I'm not one for posting on message boards, or being interested in celeb glory or failure, I appreciate their achievements as and when - but this was just ridiculously rude. And his portrayal of Macbeth? Average at best.
ReplyDelete