Not just a pretty face

Rizzo · Post by **Rizzo** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:00 pm

but an unbelievably good stage actor too.

Daughter & I went to see Hamlet in Stratford-upon-Avon yesterday, with David Tennant in the lead role. Having seen him in numerous dvds and programmes other than Dr Who, I know he is very talented, but he was simply mesmerising as Hamlet, the emotional range he portrayed was terrific and although he did "morph" into the Doctor once or twice in gestures or voice intonation (he did it with an English accent, not his native Scottish accent) it was a brilliant performance.
If you get a chance to see this production with David do take it - it's pretty much sold out in Stratford but there are claims it will transfer to the West End around Christmas. Be warned though, it is three and a half hours long including a 20 minute interval!

We found the stage door afterwards, there were 200+ people waiting, then a man came out and announced that David would not be coming out for a long while as he had a lot of guests. More than half the people then left. We decided to wait a bit so daughter could try and get Patrick Stewart to sign her programme (she'd already got the Director's autograph earlier).
So we waited about another 25 minutes, and daughter got right near the front of the people waiting. Then David suddenly came out, went "Whoa!" when he saw all the crowd. He went along signing as many things as he could. One American lady gave him some flowers, another lady shouted "You were fabulous!" and he shouted back "Thank you, so were you!". He went out of his way to sign the programme of a little lady in a wheelchair.
Daughter got her programme signed, and touched his hand, so she says she is never washing it again LOL

Oh, and Patrick Stewart (aka Captain Picard from Star Trek and Charles Xavier from X-Men) played Claudius the king - he was good too, but DT was better

It was too dark for photos and I wasn't in a good enough position to get any, but it was a really good night and now we're looking forward to Love's Labour's Lost in October even more.

Former Prop · Post by **Former Prop** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 2:53 pm

Glad you enjoyed it Rizzo, there was a bit on the news about it last night and it looked rather interesting, but 3 and a half hours is a bit to long for my attention span.

Jim__2 · Post by **Jim__2** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:09 pm

I haven't been much of a fan of Dr. Who but I do think he's a great actor and a funny bloke (after watching a random epidsode of Top Gear with him on it!).

Rizzo · Post by **Rizzo** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:40 pm

Does anyone remember watching a BBC Scotland programme called Takin' Over the Asylum, starring Ken Stott. It was the programme that really made David Tennant's name as an actor, I think it was shown in around 1994 or 1995.

Jim__2 · Post by **Jim__2** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:21 pm

Isn't his real name ___ McDonald?

The underscores mean that I don't know his first name, and I've probably got his surname wrong aswell!

Tigerbeat · Post by **Tigerbeat** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:26 pm

born David John McDonald

You are quite correct

Takin' Over the Asylum is a six part BBC Scotland television drama about a hospital radio station in a Glasgow psychiatric hospital.

Campbell (David Tennant) - a young, enthusiastic contributor to the station, who is a manic depressive.

Jim__2 · Post by **Jim__2** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:28 pm

Wow... I was right... For once.

Rizzo · Post by **Rizzo** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:28 pm

but he couldn't use that name as Equity already had an actor registered by that name.

Jim__2 · Post by **Jim__2** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:29 pm

Who or what is Equity?

Kinoulton · Post by **Kinoulton** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 8:01 am

Equity. The trade union representing performers and artists.

Without an Equity card it's practically impossible to get paid work.

BTW, David Walliams was actually born plane old David Williams. When he went for his Equity card there was a David Williams already registered (not surprisingly) so he just went for Walliams as a bit of a joke.

(Maybe we should have a separate thread on what Equity names we'd pick for ourselves.)

Jim__2 · Post by **Jim__2** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:08 pm

Right, ok. So you could still act without one but not get paid? It's not a legal requirement... Or is it?

Rizzo · Post by **Rizzo** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:32 pm

It is generally accepted that an Equity card (i.e. membership)is needed to be able to act professionally in this country, whether films or tv or stage. (I have been doing some investigating into this, as my daughter plans on doing a degree in Theatre studies and drama.) At the moment it is unclear whether a prospective employer could legally refuse to employ on the grounds the person has no Equity card.

In general though, anyone wanting to act or perform professionally in the UK is advised to apply for Equity membership. They are also sort of like a trade union.

If your chosen name is already in use by a current Equity member, then you choose another - mother's maiden name, your own middle name, whatever you like as long as it's not already taken. Remember - Michael Caine took his surname from the movie The Caine Mutiny which was showing nearby when he went to apply to join Equity - his real name is Micklewhite!

Jim__2 · Post by **Jim__2** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:35 pm

Michael Micklewhite? Sounds silly! But it's weird how people can be known by a false name. Michael Caine is a good example.

Rizzo · Post by **Rizzo** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:45 pm

No, his real name is Maurice Micklewhite. he decided on Michael for a first name, then took Caine from the title of the film I mentioned.

There are quite a lot of similar actors/performers who changed their real names...John Wayne's real name was Marion Morrison.

Jim__2 · Post by **Jim__2** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:49 pm

It would be weird though, having two completely different identities.