XistentialAngst's Blog, page 215
August 6, 2015
cherrybatched:
Benedict Cumberbatch – a Theatrical Timeline,...
Benedict Cumberbatch – a Theatrical Timeline, 2001 - 2015As Benedict Cumberbatch prepares to begin previews in Lyndsey Turner’s production of ‘Hamlet’ at the Barbican, we decided to take a trip down memory lane by looking at the ‘Sherlock’ star’s most acclaimed stage roles to date.
Whilst ‘Hamlet’ is certainly Cumberbatch’s highest profile role, he is no stranger to Shakespeare and classical texts, thanks to seasons at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park which saw him take on a great collection of the Bard’s famous characters. He went on to tread the boards at the off-West End Almeida Theatre and the intimate Royal Court, before taking the National Theatre by storm in two of their most popular productions.
2001 – ’Love’s Labour’s Lost’ and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (Open Air Regent’s Park)
In his first season with the New Shakespeare Company, Cumberbatch took on roles in two comedies, Ferdinand in ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ and the lover Demetrius in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Both productions were well reviewed at the charming open air venue, and he was nominated for an Ian Charleson Award for Best Classical Stage Performance for his role as Ferdinand.
2002 – Oh What a Lovely War, As You Like It (Orlando), Romeo and Juliet (Benvolio), Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park
Cumberbatch returned to Ian Talbot’s Open Air Theatre the following season for a varied mix of shows that ran in repertory over the summer months:
Oh What a Lovely War (23 July 2002 – 3 September 2002)
Joan Littlewood’s famous musical chronicling the horrors of the First World War told through songs and original contemporary material starred Cumberbatch alongside John Conroy and Liza Sadovy. The production was met with modest reviews, described as “a brittle, funny and polished production but one that doesn’t quite deliver the full emotional impact of this highly charged show” by the Financial Times. It marked Cumberbatch’s first foray into professional musical theatre on the London stage.
As You Like It (10 June 2002 – 7 September 2002)
The first Shakespeare in the season was directed by Rachel Kavanaugh and once again starred Cumberbatch as the romantic lead, this time the “brave, chivalrous, tender, modest, smart, strong, handsome and beloved by all” Orlando. He starred opposite Rebecca Johnson as Rosalind in a production that The Guardian described as “a touch of class”, with a “clean and clear” approach, raising the profiles of both performers.
Romeo and Juliet (5 June 2002 – 5 September 2002)
The second production in the season included Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, directed by Dominic Hill. Set in the heat of a post-war Italian summer, Cumberbatch starred as Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin who attempts to prevent violence between the two households.
2004 – The Lady From the Sea (Almeida) 16 May to 28 June 2004
This new production of Ibsen’s 1888 drama reopened the Almeida Theatre after renovation, in a production directed by Trevor Nunn. The late Natasha Richardson played the lead role of Ellida, with Cumberbatch playing Lyngstrand, a talentless sculptor who is dying of consumption in what was a breakout role for the actor in a high profile production.
2005 – Hedda Gabler, Almeida Theatre, 16 March 2005 - 30 April 2005, and Duke of York’s Theatre, 25 May to 6 August 2005
Benedict returned to the north London venue a year later, this time in a leading role in one of Ibsen’s most popular plays. He played George Tesman opposite Eve Best as the title role in a production directed by Richard Eyre and designed by Rob Howell. The overall production received excellent notices and went on to transfer to the Duke of York’s Theatre in the West End. Cumberbatch was nominated for his first Olivier Award for his performance at the 2006 ceremony, but lost out to Noma Dumezweni for 'A Raisin in the Sun’.
2007 – Rhinoceros (Berenger), 27 September – 15 December 2007, The Arsonists (Eisenring) – Royal Court 6 November to 15 December 2007
Cumberbatch made his Royal Court début in a production of Eugene Ionesco’s comedy, directed by Dominic Cooke in a new translation by Martin Crimp. He starred in the lead role of Berenger, alongside Zawe Ashton, Michael Begley and Paul Chahidi. Following the run, he remained at the Sloane Square venue to take on the role of Eisenring in 'The Arsonists’ by Max Frisch, in a new translation by Alistair Beaton, directed by Ramin Grey.
2010 – After the Dance (David Scott-Fowler) – National Theatre, 1 June to 11 August 2010
Transitioning to a much bigger stage, Cumberbatch took on a role in a rare revival of Rattigan’s 'After the Dance’ at the National’s Lyttelton Theatre directed by Thea Sharrock. The production went on to win multiple Olivier Awards and excellent reviews. Cumberbatch starred alongside Nancy Carroll and Jenny Galloway in the lead role of David, a socialite who spends his sober moments researching a futile book until the beautiful Helen decides to save him, shattering his marriage and learning too late the depth of both David’s indolence and his wife’s undeclared love.
2011 – Frankenstein (Frankenstein/Creature) – National Theatre, 23 Feb to 2 May 2011
One of the biggest moments of Cumberbatch’s theatrical career came as he took on a double role in a new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s 'Frankenstein’ along with Johnny Lee Miller, who alternated the roles of Frankenstein and his creature. Directed by Danny Boyle with designs by Mark Tildesley, this was one of the National Theatre’s biggest hits and saw Cumberbatch take home the Olivier Award for Best Actor. He also won the Evening Standard Theatre Award and the Critic’s Circle Award for the same role.
2013 – National Theatre 50 Years on Stage- (Rosencrantz)
Cumberbatch returned to the National Theatre to help celebrate the venue’s 50th anniversary in 2013. In a specially arranged gala performance, Cumberbatch played Rosencrantz in a section of 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead’, Tom Stoppard’s absurdist tragicomedy which sees 'Hamlet’ through the eyes of two minor characters.
2015 – Hamlet (Hamlet) – Barbican
Now prepared to take on the role of a lifetime, Cumberbatch will play one of the greatest theatrical characters ever written. After the production was announced in summer 2014, tickets sold out within hours, making it the fastest selling theatrical event of all time.
30.7.2015 (x)
Great overview!
August 2, 2015
silentauroriamthereal:
captain-liddy:
Okay but like. Under what circumstances would it be...
Okay but like. Under what circumstances would it be acceptable to hate Mary? How many times does she have to shoot Sherlock? Like five times? Or like. Would she have to personally hit me with her car before it would be okay for me to hate her? She tried to murder the main character. She would have succeeded, if not for moftiss magic pulling him back from the brink with gay love.
And please remember that the Mary of teh and tsot was a facade. As is the Mary who makes chitchat with Mr Holmes at Christmas. The real Mary is the Mary in Magnussen’s office. The Mary in the empty houses with her gun pointed at Sherlock asking him how badly he wants to find out what a good shot she is. The real Mary is the Mary back at Baker Street who sits there like a stone wall while everyone around her is crumbling under the weight of her horrible actions.
Mary is selfish, violent, callous, and cruel. She murdered for hire. She lied and lied and hurt people she claimed to care about without remorse and without explanation. Those are plenty of reasons to despise her.
It’s not wank when it’s the truth.
Agreed.
August 1, 2015
July 31, 2015
mathildalocks:
Strong Foreshadowing: The Bicycle in the Garbage...
Strong Foreshadowing: The Bicycle in the Garbage - John isn’t going back to Mary for real
In HLV, this tiny second shows the homeless man who looks like the guy that John thought was Sherlock in disguise, lifting a perfectly new bike from the garbage. In this show, homeless network represents Sherlock. This scene is literally minutes before this entire cycling conversation at Barts. Why did they place a bike, a new bike, when they could put anything in a garbage bin? Do you think it would be accidental in a scene where the billboard has an ad with 18.95? By the way the garbage bin has TEA spelled on it, which is carefully orchestrated with cardboards and it is kind of madness. It also has house furniture, couch and mattress, maybe symbols of a broken matrimony?
John was flight risk from the moment Sherlock came back from dead and even more so after his honeymoon. The red shirt is his love for Sherlock, no wonder he wears that when dreaming of escapes. The bike in the garbage symbolizes John’s flight vessel and it is handed to the homeless man. John isn’t flight risk anymore because at the end of HLV, his mind is made up for not returning to Mary for real.
We will yet to learn how this will be explained but it is a new episode in their story arc and the bike in the garbage is its foreshadowing.
More awesome meta.
July 27, 2015
teapotsubtext:
wellthengameover:
There are teapots behind...
There are teapots behind Sherlock when Irene asks about his sexual history. Unused, decorative gay teapots.
nice
Jesus Christ.
July 20, 2015
39 Times Benedict Cumberbatch Made The World A Better Place
Happy 39th birthday Benedict Cumberbatch!
To celebrate his big day, we made a list of 39 times everyone’s favourite Sherlock made the world a better, brighter, more Benedict-y place.
1. When he got this excited at Wimbledon
2. When he wore a flat cap backwards and didn’t give a damn what anyone thought
3. When he spoke at his distant relation Richard III’s internment and made us question whether or not it was morally okay to fancy someone at a funeral and we decided we just didn’t care
4. When he turned up to the GQ Man of the Year awards looking like THIS
5. That time he wore glasses
6. When he got this close to Tom Hiddleston and we had to sit down for a moment and count to ten so we didn’t pass out
7. When he photobombed U2 at the Oscars, basically reaching peak photobomb and thus negating the need for anyone else to try and top it. Ever.
8. That time the world found out that he basically can’t pronounce the word ‘penguin’ despite voicing a character in ‘Penguins of Madagascar’ and narrating an entire documentary about them
9. When he had THIS to say about his fans calling themselves ‘Cumberbitches’:
“I definitely didn’t [come up with it]. That’s part of my problem with it. I just went: ‘Ladies, this is wonderful. I’m very flattered, but has this not set feminism back a little bit? Empower yourselves if you’re going to get silly about a guy with maybe a little bit more of a sort of, you know, a high-regard, self-regarding name!’"
10. When he wore a white tuxedo to the Oscars
11. And gave us all unattainable relationship goals as we all saw how utterly besotted he is with his wife, Sophie Hunter
12. His ability to do this to women with a single look
13. When him and Sophie practically reinvented couples airport chic
14. When Benedict went old school and announced his wedding in The Times
15. When him and Eddie Redmayne basically defied the ageing process and looked like this when they were 33 and 27, respectively
16. When he had this to say about his engagement
17. When he danced like THIS
18. When even Jon Stewart got it
19. When he shut down a blatantly sexist question from an interviewer aimed at Keira Knightley
20. When he tried (and failed) to do the perfect Knightley pout
21. When he reacted exactly the same as we would if we had to sit through the Oscars knowing we wouldn’t win
22. When he got in a river in a tuxedo and we somehow lost the ability to speak
23. When he played Smaug. In a grey onesie.
24. When we all realised that there never was and never will be a better Sherlock Holmes
25. Like, seriously
26. How are we supposed to remain calm in the face of such brilliance?
27. When he became one half of our favourite ever TV duo
28. That moment when it looked like Sherlock and Watson were about to kiss and we nearly lost our damn minds
28. When he danced, like this, with Michael Fassbender after the Golden Globes and for a moment the world stopped turning on its axis
29. When he realised the Americans would never really get his name so kindly tried out a few others. Of course, none stuck.
30. When someone rightly pointed out that he looked remarkably like an otter
31. Right?
32. When he totally beat Jimmy Fallon in an Alan Rickman-off
33. He’s kinda the king of period dramas
34. He did the Ice Bucket Challenge that was both good for charity and us, his fans, cause then he looked like this
35. In fact, he did it like 10 times. Each more wonderful than the last
36. I die
37. When he let slip that he’s just as much of a diva about his birthday as the rest of us
38. When he even managed to make us root for the bad guy in Star Trek
39. When he looked like this 39 years ago
Happy birthday Benedict!
Image credit: Rex, Tumblr
Yes, I sat through the whole damn thing. Loved it!
July 12, 2015
phillyzoo:
Oscar the porcupine high-fives his keeper.
If you...
Oscar the porcupine high-fives his keeper.
If you can get a porcupine to high five you that’s, like, an immediate pass when you get to heaven. Instant clean slate.
A tender moment between @JensenAckles and a crying fan at the...
A tender moment between @JensenAckles and a crying fan at the @cw_spn signing. #WBSDCC #SDCC #Supernatural @Comic_Con
San Diego Comic-Con 2013 [x]
This is so sweet. He is the nicest guys ever.
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