Acting on stage is difficult. It takes more than just skill, but lots of preparation and hard work, as well (especially, when you have to say the same lines over and over again and to remember to include intonation and expressions at the same time). You’re talented Jonathan, and I wish you every success in your theatre career . Enjoy your performance! It’s a final week of The Winter’s Tale J It was a pleasure watching you performing on stage! Thank you!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
The Winter's Tale Q&A session (October 24)
After the play on October 24th, there was a Q&A session with the director and actors for anyone who wanted to stay and ask questions. Very interesting, what have they been talking about. This picture is not very clear, but you can spot Jonathan on the right side.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
The Winter's Tale final week
The Winter’s Tale moves into its final week, the Crucible tracked the progress of this production http://storify.com/crucibletheatre/the-winter-s-tale
Monday, October 28, 2013
Lovely picture
I took this picture from the FB Fans page (maybe I don't have a right to take it. If so, tell me, and I will delete it. But I just can't resist Jon's smile). I really like it. This picture was taken before the matinee on October the 26th.
I think I'm the only one who went to Sheffield and didn't manage to meet with him. Why am I so unlucky? Going to cry into my pillow right now :(
P.S. But I'm glad I saw him performing on stage. Excellent acting and beautiful man. :)
I think I'm the only one who went to Sheffield and didn't manage to meet with him. Why am I so unlucky? Going to cry into my pillow right now :(
P.S. But I'm glad I saw him performing on stage. Excellent acting and beautiful man. :)
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Great performances from all the main players
Another review from the Counterfeit Magazine
P.S. Speaking of the Winter's Tale - winter's time - don't forget - the clocks go back an hour tonight :)
Friday, October 25, 2013
More reviews...
The Winter's Tale runs until Saturday, November 2. So, It's only one week left.
Here're some
Here're some
People’s thoughts after they’ve seen The Winter’s Tale:
Wondeful Winters Tale at Crucible theatre brought tears to my eyes at the end
Really lovely production of The Winters Tale - cracking performances, great design & properly moving ending. Good stuff!
Just have been to see The Winter's Tale. Brilliant production! Really enjoyed :)
Winter's Tale was absolutely fantastic. I may have had something in my eye when Hermione came back to life at the end :-)
The Winter's Tale at the Crucible theatre. Amazing production and some blazing actors. Well worth a Saturday afternoon.
Very impressive production - a super strong cast and impressive staging!
Just saw a fantastic production of The Winter's Tale. One of the best Shakespeares I think I've ever seen. Ace.
The Winter's Tale is so engaging and gripping I want to see it again! So beautifully staged. Will book to see it again.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Sorry, I'm not a theatre critic...
The train to Sheffield from London’s St. Pancras took 2 hours 7 minutes. It was warm in Sheffield, the weather changed from cloudy and overcast to sunny. I had no problem finding the Crucible Theatre. I guess, I've got a GPS in my head, so I find places easily :)
The Winter’s Tale performance began at precisely 2 pm. I enjoyed this performance, enjoyed the acting from all the cast. I liked the way it ended (scene with a Hermione’s statue). And the scene with a baby was really heart touching. The set, the lighting on the stage and the sound were done nicely. I liked that the audience is so close to the stage. I had a nice seat, not in the front row, but in the center (F 46).
All actors were great: Daniel Lapaine, Claire Price, Barbara Marten, Christian Dixon – with a good costume and a special lighting effects, his bear looked real, Keir Charles and young Patrick Walshe Mcbride were so funny.
And Jonathan was perfect, he was great and convincing in his performance. Jon was serious, angry, touching and funny. I liked the sheep shearing fest scene very much, especially when he started to dance :) The truth is Jonathan has won my heart long time ago. And I really enjoyed his performance and the way he looked. So bad, that I didn’t get a chance to meet him. I bumped into Daniel Lapaine, when he was walking out the stage door, I saw Patrick Walshe talking with some women, Gareth Williams (I think it was him) smoking near the stage door. So I saw other men, not the one I wanted to see.
I bought The Winter’s Tale programme at the Crucible. This programme consists of cast and production team list, cast and creative team biographies, an interview with Rafaella Marcus (Assistant Director), an article “Seeing and Believing” by Raphael Lyne (reader in English Renaissance literature at the University of Cambridge), an interview “In conversation with actors Jonathan Firth, Daniel Lapaine and Claire Price” by Mark Fisher and some rehearsal pictures.
In this interview Jonathan answered 3 questions: 1) What makes a good director?
Jonathan: I worked with Paul a very long time ago. He gave me my first theatre job, a play called Bad Company, which was very enjoyable. There’s something about Paul that gets everybody to believe in the material and to believe in themselves very strongly. There’s also something about this play – the feeling that it is a tale, a piece of storytelling – that means, despite a lot of it exploring dark territory,it is a 100 per cent positive atmosphere.
2) Jonathan, how does it feel to be the innocent Polixenes, wrongly accused by Leontes of adultery? Jonathan: It’s a huge shock for him. There’s no suggestion anywhere in the script that Leontes and Polixenes have any siblings, and there’s a lot of suggestion that they grew up together. They’re not just best friends; they are the nearest thing they have to family. So the story has that family-schism factor as well as a friendship-schism. Friends move on, but with family, those wounds remain. There’s always a hole there that needs filling.
3) The other big theme in the play is reconciliation.
Jonathan: What’s interesting about this play, unlike Shakespearean tragedy, is that there is healing at the end of it. Truth and reconciliation commissions do require an immense act of faith from all concerned and an immense lack of cynicism and Paul’s interpretation celebrates that.
This review was published two days ago (October the 19th):
The Winter's Tale got 4 stars from the Stage review
The Winter’s Tale performance began at precisely 2 pm. I enjoyed this performance, enjoyed the acting from all the cast. I liked the way it ended (scene with a Hermione’s statue). And the scene with a baby was really heart touching. The set, the lighting on the stage and the sound were done nicely. I liked that the audience is so close to the stage. I had a nice seat, not in the front row, but in the center (F 46).
All actors were great: Daniel Lapaine, Claire Price, Barbara Marten, Christian Dixon – with a good costume and a special lighting effects, his bear looked real, Keir Charles and young Patrick Walshe Mcbride were so funny.
And Jonathan was perfect, he was great and convincing in his performance. Jon was serious, angry, touching and funny. I liked the sheep shearing fest scene very much, especially when he started to dance :) The truth is Jonathan has won my heart long time ago. And I really enjoyed his performance and the way he looked. So bad, that I didn’t get a chance to meet him. I bumped into Daniel Lapaine, when he was walking out the stage door, I saw Patrick Walshe talking with some women, Gareth Williams (I think it was him) smoking near the stage door. So I saw other men, not the one I wanted to see.
I bought The Winter’s Tale programme at the Crucible. This programme consists of cast and production team list, cast and creative team biographies, an interview with Rafaella Marcus (Assistant Director), an article “Seeing and Believing” by Raphael Lyne (reader in English Renaissance literature at the University of Cambridge), an interview “In conversation with actors Jonathan Firth, Daniel Lapaine and Claire Price” by Mark Fisher and some rehearsal pictures.
In this interview Jonathan answered 3 questions: 1) What makes a good director?
Jonathan: I worked with Paul a very long time ago. He gave me my first theatre job, a play called Bad Company, which was very enjoyable. There’s something about Paul that gets everybody to believe in the material and to believe in themselves very strongly. There’s also something about this play – the feeling that it is a tale, a piece of storytelling – that means, despite a lot of it exploring dark territory,it is a 100 per cent positive atmosphere.
2) Jonathan, how does it feel to be the innocent Polixenes, wrongly accused by Leontes of adultery? Jonathan: It’s a huge shock for him. There’s no suggestion anywhere in the script that Leontes and Polixenes have any siblings, and there’s a lot of suggestion that they grew up together. They’re not just best friends; they are the nearest thing they have to family. So the story has that family-schism factor as well as a friendship-schism. Friends move on, but with family, those wounds remain. There’s always a hole there that needs filling.
3) The other big theme in the play is reconciliation.
Jonathan: What’s interesting about this play, unlike Shakespearean tragedy, is that there is healing at the end of it. Truth and reconciliation commissions do require an immense act of faith from all concerned and an immense lack of cynicism and Paul’s interpretation celebrates that.
This review was published two days ago (October the 19th):
The Winter's Tale got 4 stars from the Stage review
and it mentioned Jon's performance: " .....Jonathan Firth, as the undeserving target of his wrath, is equally impressive, delivering the lines with clarity and sense".
Saturday, October 19, 2013
I'm on train from Sheffield. The play and the cast were amazing. But i couldn' t take my eyes off Jon. Especially, when he started to sing with others and dance. You're brilliant Jonathan! I was waiting after the play , but I saw only Daniel Lapaine and Patrick Walsh Mcbride. That' s really sad. It was a pleasure watching you on stage!
Friday, October 18, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Next weekend
I read some tweets (on Twitter) from ordinary theatregoers, they really enjoyed this play.
I'm going to watch it next weekend and I'm so excited! Would love to see Jonathan on stage!
I'm going to watch it next weekend and I'm so excited! Would love to see Jonathan on stage!
Friday, October 11, 2013
Review from a lecturer in Shakespeare Drama
This review is written by Peter Kirwan, a lecturer in Shakespeare and Early Modern Drama in the School of English
Thursday, October 10, 2013
More reviews
Public reviews gave almost 5 stars to The Winter's Tale
and 3 stars from the Exeunt Magazine
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
The Guardian review II
The Guardian gave 4 stars to The Winter's Tale :)
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/oct/09/the-winters-tale-review
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/oct/09/the-winters-tale-review
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
More reviews for The Winter's Tale
1. Review from The British Theatre Guide
2. Broadway World Review
3. The Stage review
The Winter's Tale opening night
Many people enjoyed The Winter's Tale opening night yesterday. Here are a couple of comments:
"...a thing of beauty in beautifully balanced, wonderfully cast The Winter's Tale. Thaws the soul".
"Sheffield Crucible Theatre has another hit with a BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL production of Winter's Tale led by Paul Miller and a superb ensemble".
"...a thing of beauty in beautifully balanced, wonderfully cast The Winter's Tale. Thaws the soul".
"Sheffield Crucible Theatre has another hit with a BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL production of Winter's Tale led by Paul Miller and a superb ensemble".
Monday, October 7, 2013
The Winter's Tale trailer
It's a very nice video. This play looks really interesting. Would love to see it. Jonathan is really handsome in it.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
The "Guardian" review
This review is quite small, hope there will be more later
I want to see this play myself. Those who visited are saying some nice words about it. I'm hoping to come to Sheffield in two weeks. But still not sure :(
It's a press night for The Winter's Tale on Monday at 7 p.m.
It's a press night for The Winter's Tale on Monday at 7 p.m.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
First review
First review is from the artisctic director at Sheffield Crucible Daniel Evans: "....public dress rehearsal went brilliantly. The Winter's Tale was touching, frightening, funny, harrowing, devastating, uplifting, moving and brilliantly spoken".
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Public dress rehearsal
Tomorrow evening is "The Winter's Tale" public dress rehearsal. I hope everything goes smoothly and well!
P.S. It's a full house for "The Winter's Tale" public rehearsal! All tickets are sold out. I hope you'll have a wonderful evening, Jonathan!
P.S. It's a full house for "The Winter's Tale" public rehearsal! All tickets are sold out. I hope you'll have a wonderful evening, Jonathan!
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