Hollywood stars 'are ruining UK theatre'
LONDON: Top Hollywood heroes who do a turn on the London stage are destroying British theatre, leading playwright Sir Alan Ayckbourn said yesterday.
US stars lured to the West End theatre district to sell tickets are incabable of stage acting, stifle new talent and leave theatregoers disappointed, Ayckbourn said.
Some performers could "barely be heard beyond row three," fumed the knight, whose plays are performed more than those of any other living British writer, in a stinging assault on the "Hollywood effect."
"What is happening is that the theatre is being stuffed with the stars' fans. What they experience in the theatre is a poor performance, and they go out profoundly disappointed and disenchanted," the 67-year-old said.
"That is another blow for the theatre. You've emptied the theatre for a whole load of people who will never go again."
Singling out Kevin Spacey as one of the few US film stars who could act on stage, he ridiculed the worst offenders for having no idea what to do with their arms.
He said that instead of blaming their idol, fans went home thinking that they simply did not enjoy watching live theatre.
Ayckbourn said West End producers were not prepared to risk casting new talent and building up their own actors.
I can only hope that one of these "Hollywood" actors that are killing the theatre scene in the U.K. is Gwenyth Paltrow, that anti-Americanista...
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Friday, January 26, 2007
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This is just another example of lashing out at Americans because it's fashionable, if you ask me. As for Paltrow, the full story in The Times lists her among the few American stars seemingly worthy of the theatre.
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