noooo why

[tempestsarekind]

So Branagh is doing Romeo and Juliet and The Winter's Tale at the Garrick Theatre in London, alongside Terrence Rattigan's Harlequinade, which is apparently a play about a company that tries to put on Romeo and Juliet and The Winter's Tale. I like the idea of this grouping, and a lot of the casting sounds really amazing (Dame Judi Dench as Paulina

Comments

[lareinenoire]

That doesn't make ANY sense--is it maybe a typo and Jacobi is playing Friar Laurence? I might sit here and pin my hopes on that.

(I think Madden could pull off Romeo based on what I've seen--he's got the goofiness and charm, provided of course he can speak the verse--and I'd be curious to see what Lily James brings to Juliet, although it does feel a bit like post-Cinderella stunt casting...)

[tempestsarekind]

I was kind of hoping it's a typo as well! Otherwise I am just dumbfounded.

I wonder if Branagh is trying to build up a new "stable" of actors, because someone else in the cast for The Winter's Tale was (apparently) also in Cinderella as well. He seems to like going back to the same core actors throughout his career, so maybe it's less gimmicky than stunt casting. Fingers crossed, anyway!

Also, I think goofiness and charm are essential to a good Romeo, so that's good to hear!

[lareinenoire]

True, Branagh does tend to re-use a lot of the same actors (Richard Briers and Nicholas Farrell both come to mind from his 90s films, not to mention Helena Bonham Carter and Emma Thompson, etc). And it makes a lot of sense that he'd want to put together a younger set, between the Marvel films and the new Cinderella (which was very sweet, if a bit simplistic for my tastes--Ever After is still the one for me).

[tempestsarekind]

I didn't see Cinderella, mostly because I knew I would be comparing it to Ever After the whole time! Maybe one of these days I'll check it out from the public library or something.

[lareinenoire]

All other things aside it is beautifully filmed, and Cate Blanchett is FABULOUS (if somewhat underused) as Cinderella's stepmother. I was a bit frustrated by what I saw as James' passivity when I saw it, but I read several essays afterward that have made me want to rewatch it and pay closer attention.

[tempestsarekind]

It sounds like I'd at least like it - thanks for the comment!