Ed ecco, dopo la splendida foto postata da Sara (grazie mille
), un breve articolo dedicato proprio a questa performance, segnalato dalla nostra instancabile
Erika.
See how Alan Rickman wowed Birmingham Rep as Sherlock Holmes before he found fame
Traduzione a cura di Giulia Nerucci
Where did Alan Rickman cut his teeth as an actor?
The answer is elementary.
It was at Birmingham Rep as the world’s greatest sleuth, Sherlock Holmes.
Before fame beckoned, Rickman, who died on Thursday, January 14 at the age of 69, appeared at the theatre from November 4 to December 11, 1976, in the leading role of Sherlock Holmes. Michael Hughes played Dr Watson and David Suchet was arch-villain Moriarty.
Rickman, who starred in the Harry Potter films, Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, is not remembered alongside the raft of great actors who played the super sleuth.
But a review, which featured in the Sunday Mercury, poured praise on his performance.
It said: “Holmes is played with superb coolness and languid authority by Alan Rickman in a performance which interweaves touches of melodrama with masterpieces of understatement in such an absorbing and funny fashion that it dazzles the audience.
“Others on stage therefore look grey and we have the odd phenomenon of a one-man show with a cast of more than 20.”
An unauthorised biography of the actor declared: “The Sunday Mercury was almost orgasmic over the new discovery.”
The Birmingham Post, was more restrained.
The reviewer wrote: “Although looking a little young for the part, he catches just the right combination of fin de siècle cynicism and scientific curiosity.”
The play came two years before his first movie role, playing Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet.
And it was the springboard for Rickman joining the Royal Shakespeare Company two years later.
Rickman was less than gushing when recalling his stint with the Stratford company.
“I was miscast very quickly in national companies,” he later recalled. “I was unhappy very quickly, and I ran very quickly.
“Within four years of leaving drama school, I ran away from the Royal Shakespeare Company.
“You go to places like Stratford and learn how to bark in front of 1,500 people.
“You’re taught that talking to people on stage isn’t very valuable and what you should do is shout.”
Edited by chiara53 - 25/6/2022, 17:50
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