Lynn Redgrave in NYC

[ffortsa]

This past weekend, we saw Lynn Redgrave's one-woman show about her grandmother. Redgrave is a very accomplished actress, of course, and was able to hold our attention (pretty much) even though she performed the entire show sitting behind a table with the script for reference

Comments

[holmesfan]

Sounds rather like a waste of talent.
Wonder why she remained seated. Perhaps she had a temporary walking problem otherwise you'd think that being able to walk about with gestures would have added a useful dimension to the show.
While I've never actually seen a one-woman show my perception would be that an actress performing one wouldn't be just a static reader.

[ffortsa]

Actually, she walked out from the wings. I think the problem was more that she had to keep the script in front of her for reference. She had some medical problems during the rehearsal period, so it was decided that she would be, as we in the trade say, 'on book'. She didn't refer to it much, but it's awkward to walk around with a book in your hands.

We also saw 'Wishful Drinking' with Carrie Fisher, and she was all over the stage, very comfortable (physically) with the space and the audience. Also a one-woman show, but of a very different kind, very funny and self-revealing.