Ralph Fiennes in Faith Healer : FAN STORIES

Ralph Fiennes fans have the best stage door stories, and if Ralph is in the right mood, you might be lucky enough for an autograph, a smile, a photo or more. Fans share their stories and experiences here, and we all live vicariously through them:-) Stories are listed newest to oldest. So if you want to start at the beginning, start at the bottom and work your way up.

Lois Hagen
MAY 28th, NYC, FROM THE FIRST ROW (AND STAGE DOOR)

As a true Ralph Fiennes fan for at least ten years who has seen every one of his movies and never even dreamed of ever seeing him in person, my weekend in NYC was a darn perfect one!

It was Ralph’s return to the NY stage after ten years that prompted my husband and I to finally take that “weekend in NY” we’d talked about for so long (from the Chicago area). We’d always said that if he came back to do a play there, we’d try to get tickets and go, but I never really believed it would happen, and surely not like this!

So I’d been watching the available info on the play while it was in Dublin, and as soon as I found out tickets were on sale for NY, we jumped online. I can’t believe it still -- somebody up there likes me an awful lot -- because on our first try, we came up with FRONT ROW CENTER tickets for the date we wanted (Sunday, May 28, 3pm)!!! Right in front of the stage! God bless Telecharge (and my understanding husband)!

This was at the end of February. I had three months of waiting ahead of me. I didn’t even dare tell anyone about it until about two weeks before, for fear of jinxing it or realizing I was only dreaming!

Finally the weekend arrived. We got to NY Saturday, mid-morning, and just knowing he was there somewhere was fun to think about.

One of the first things we did after checking into our hotel (right by the Ed Sullivan Theatre at 54th street) was to walk over to the Booth Theatre on 45th, to check it out.

Its not a large theatre, but a nice one, and as you walk towards it you see that huge poster on the front of the building, of the three actors, with Ralph’s outstretched hand.

We took a few pictures and saw where the stage door was. Unfortunately, there were no “Faith Healer” souvenirs of any kind to be had in any of the theatre shops.

Our tickets were for Sunday afternoon, but as we were coming back from our day’s sightseeing on Saturday, it was just about the time the evening performance of the play would be letting out. We strolled over to the theatre, where a crowd was waiting. We stayed in the back just to see (not even our camera along!), and in about 20 minutes, he came out! It was so exciting!

He began to sign playbills and I just tried to get a look. He was wearing khakis and a sport jacket and looked freshly showered and scrubbed and just terrific. One man in the back yelled “I liked your green socks”, and he smiled and said “Thanks”.

He only signed for about half the crowd when the guy who was staying close by told him it was time to leave. He smiled and waved and was whisked off to a car waiting on the street.

Finally the day arrived and I began counting the hours. I’d told my husband I loved being in NYC, but I didn’t care what else we did, cuz I was really there for one thing!

This was a huge deal for me. I think there are certain things you should “dress” for, at least a little, and for me, this was one of them. So I enjoyed putting on a dress and makeup and walking over to the theatre, and admit to being a bit put off when the man seated next to me showed up in a striped polo and shorts!

When we got there, the doors had just opened and we went straight in. I loved having the usherette say “Go all the way to the front--the first row!” What a thrill! If there was ever a play I’d want front row seats for, it was this one, and I was loving every minute!

I was glad to see that the program listed all of Ralph’s movies in his bio, and didn’t skip the ones that casual fans go blank at the mention of (Oscar and Lucinda, Onegin or Sunshine, for example).

So there we were. Front row, center. I could touch the stage by just leaning in. I pinched myself. The theatre filled quickly. There was a crowd outside hoping for last-minute tickets, but I wonder if anyone had a chance. I’m happy to say that the audience was well-behaved throughout the whole show. I heard no talking offstage while any of the actors were on.

The staging of the sets was brilliant, I thought. Very minimal. Between scenes, the curtain literally just floated across from one side to the other and seemed to just bring the change of actors and props along with it effortlessly.

Ralph had several chairs for his opening scene and a single chair for the closing. Cherry Jones (Grace) had an upholstered chair, side table and lamp, and Ian McDiarmid (Teddy) had the same, plus a record player atop a cooler full of bottles of beer, and an empty dog bed. They each had the big “Faith Healer” sign, announcing their performances in the story.

There was an announcement (in Ralph’s voice? or was I overly anxious?) about turning off cell phones, etc., then the curtain opened and there he was! The Fantastic Francis Hardy, Faith Healer. In the first few moments, he almost reminded me of his character in “Spider”, because he was slightly hunched over, wearing an overcoat and hat, and quietly mumbling the names of Irish towns in a distracted, almost inaudible voice.

I won’t go into the story--this will be long enough--but I truly loved the play. It was fascinating, with each character’s telling of it from their own memory. If anyone says it had “too many words” (as I believe I read in one fan story and heard at intermission from a man seated behind me), they were simply attending the wrong play! This was wonderful storytelling: the kind you must pay attention to and that makes you think and wonder. I had purposely avoided reading any more than what the reviews said, so that I could let the story unfold in front of me as the actors told it, and was glad I had, so that I wouldn’t be waiting for certain things to happen.

Certainly Ralph’s role, being at the opening and the end explanation, showed the largest range of emotions. And they were all there: humor, sarcasm, anger, bitterness, boastfulness, acceptance, and even fear. When he would pause and forgetfully say “Where was I? Oh, no, I told you that already....”, you really felt he was telling his story right to you. He even sang a few lines of "The Way You Look Tonight", the one song in the play, which each character would mention.

Our seats were perfect--for a lot of the play, he was standing no less than three feet directly in front of me! He also went from side to side and to the back of the stage, and looked around at all of the audience, but I could see every expression and hear every word.

I really wanted to just close my eyes and listen to that soothing, yet powerful voice, but the man is just too damn good-looking to sit in front of with your eyes closed!

I kept telling myself: You’re at a sold-out Broadway show, seeing the actor who’s been your favorite for ages, from the first row. Stay in the moment and enjoy this, cuz its not likely to ever happen again!

Throughout the play, he was wearing a grayish jacket and pants, white striped shirt, with a green tie and yes, green socks. He had a sexy shadow of beard on his face.

Cherry Jones (who I’ve seen in several movies) was very effective to me, in an extremely emotional role. Hers was mostly sadness with a touch of humor and a little hope. She smokes, drinks and cries through her part, and managing to stay seated in her chair the whole time, while desperately pleading for things to be different, must’ve been very difficult.

Ian McDiarmid (who I admit to not being familiar with before) as Teddy was very sweet. Mostly a humorous role, there’s also a tinge of wistful sadness beneath the surface. He so involves you in his telling of the story that I found myself nodding in answer to a question as though he were actually directing it to me.

When Ralph’s first part ended, the curtain floated completely across the stage, so that as it finished, he was gone and Cherry was there, chair, lamp and all.

After her role was intermission. Then Ian, and then Ralph to end it. He ended by standing right at the front of the stage in his coat and hat again (and thewhole theatre had been completely silent as he put it on, buttoned the coat, and walked forward -- he must love that!), holding out his arms. On his last word, the lights went out.

When they came back on, Cherry to the left, Ian to the right and Ralph in the center (the only time they appear together), they got a standing ovation. Well, at least I jumped up. I assume everyone did! I wasn’t going to waste these last few moments looking at the audience!

Each came forward and bowed, and no kidding, when Ralph bowed, he was right there! I could have touched the top of his head!

A woman came forward and gave him a bouquet of flowers, which he shyly accepted. I had also brought him something, but had wild hopes of giving it tohim at the stage door.

And then, lights out and it was over.

My husband hadn’t wanted me to be disappointed afterwards, so he kept reminding me that since we were up front in the theatre, we’d be last out at the stage door. I figured I’d at least be able to see him there like we had the evening before, and that would be enough.

When we got out, there was just a little space on the end, in the direction he leaves, so we waited there. I knew if he didn’t sign for everyone, we’d be cut out. There was a pretty good crowd, but again, everyone behaved nicely.

After about 20 minutes or so, Ian came out and signed for those who wanted it. I did.

A few minutes later Cherry came out. She was great too, and even talked in length to people as she signed.

They all seemed more relaxed--probably because it was the only show of the day and they have Mondays off. With Ralph, I thought, that could either work for or against us, depending on his plans.

About 10 minutes later, the crowd sort of squealed, and out he came. He looked up and smiled, looking almost surprised that anyone was there, then
took off his black shoulder bag, handed it to his guy (don’t know for sure who he is, but I prayed he wouldn’t tell him it was time to leave before he got to us), and went all the way to the first people by the door and started signing. I bet on the nights he doesn’t have time to sign, he just hates to even come out!

This time he was wearing black pants and an untucked white shirt, looking more relaxed and very sexy. He signed quickly, and sort of looked up and smiled after each. Finally one woman said “Don’t you talk?” He smiled again and nicely said “I’ve just been talking for two hours!”

Some women started taking pictures with him, which he allowed, but finally he very politely said “I really can’t take any more pictures”, so they stopped.

I overheard one woman behind me telling her friend that it was ridiculous that he didn’t have his own pen! Gimme a break!

I got very nervous as he got closer. My husband, who is taller and was calmer than me, had our camera and got a picture of the crowd, one of Ian, one of
Cherry, and several very nice ones of Ralph.

When Ralph got to me, I said hi and handed him my pen and program. He signed and smiled and moved on. I was so excited just then, I couldn’t even get the cap back on my pen! I tried to give him the small gift I’d brought (I’ll keep it a secret, but its something I thought be might appreciate from things I always hear about him), but he didn’t see it. He seemed to have some recognition of an older woman next to me who’d also been to Ireland.

Just as he was about to leave for the car, I took my last chance. I said “Ralph”, and he turned back, probably thinking he’d overlooked someone. I held out my gift and said “This is for you”. He took it in his hand, looked down at it, then looked at me with a lovely smile and said “Thank you very much.” At that point, my husband held out his hand and said “Great performance” and Ralph said “Thanks” and shook his hand!

On the way to car I saw that he had my gift clutched in his hand. I had so hoped to be able to give it to him and thought even if he tossed it or gave it away or
whatever, at least I’d have done it, so I was thrilled!

He took a picture with a sailor who had been talking to a woman from the theatre to arrange it, and then went to the car and they drove off.

It was a wonderful experience I won’t forget and better than I could have ever hoped for! And I came away with pictures and autographs to prove it to
myself too, in case I should start to think it really couldn’t have possibly happened, so I feel very lucky.

As a last note, today (a week since we saw the play, although I keep thinking about it), I went on this website. I found the picture of Ralph with the sailor, who turns out to be the husband of Mary, who I guess co-runs the website! So cool to have been standing right there as it was taken.

And guess what? If you look at the photo, you’ll see Ralph holding something in his hand. That’s the gift I gave him. Who knows? Maybe he stuck it in
his shoulder bag when he got to the car and ended up liking it and keeping it! That’s what I like to think, anyway.

05/20/06 Carolyn's Excellent Stage Door Reporting

We just got back from the stage door...and WOW...he looked great. Mike and I got there a bit early and no one was there yet..and then the play
let out and people started coming out..Mike had the video camera and I had a camera..plus mike also had a digital camera with him too. He got some really
nice footage of RF coming out and signing autographs...Mike also before this all started went in the theatre and got me a playbill. Just incase I could
get RF's autograph too....and I did. But as he was coming down the line signing Mike had the video camera on him and when he was standing right in
front of mike he looked right at the camera...and then he came up to me and I told him i had saw the play in Dublin back in March...with some friends and
he looked at me and said "You Did" and Mike told him that I was a world traveler..he smiled. then I got my pic taken with Ian and Cherry..they were
so nice...ralph ran off to his car and Mike followed with the camera...didn't get to much after that..all in all a good night at the stage
door and we will go for the play and more tommorrow (today) Saturday..haveing a great time...take care and I'll try and email again later. bye for now.

Hey all
I'm here in NYC getting ready to head out for the day...Thanks Stella for posting my report...last night was wonderful RF in a good mood. Ian and Cherry where so nice..mike took a nice pic of us together..will post when i get back. Tonight we are having dinner with the others (a Chilean place) and then off to the theatre. Weather has been ok..a bit chilly but nice. RF was smiling alot and seemed to be ok...looked really good. Mike got some nice video footage, some really nice closeups of RF...will post when i return after Monday. Take care and will report again later.

Here's Carolyn's report from Saturday night.

We just got back to the hotel after seeing the play. It seemed a little different from when we saw it in Dublin. Ralph seemed more energetic during the first part, and Ingrid I thought does a better job then Cherry Jones...but Cherry Jones was good...just thougth Ingrid was better. Ian was great at Teddy as usually. Ralph looked great at the stage door. There where more people tonight then last night. I'll post some more when I get back home.

I have the video done and will post it on my little Rf site later today and will get the video to Mary so she can add it to the FH mini-site. My son did a good job editing it. We took out all the back ground noice and just added some back ground music. There was so much chatting going on with the people around us..so I'll post when the video and pics are up to view. As for the trip..it was wonderful. The play was great as always..a bit different in a way..RF was moving around more on stage in the first part more then he did in Dublin. Cherry was wonderful but didn't have the accent I think she should have had..Ingrid I believe did a better job....that's me though. The stage door was wonderful, RF seemed to be in a good mood, smiled alot, signed autographs for people. (playbills only). Cherry Jones was great and she is so nice..we got our pic taken with her and she even put her arms around us..just a very nice lady. Ian was great too..got pic with him too. No pics with the man..but did get some nice pics of him. Thanks to Van for showing us around NYC again..she is always my tour guide..if it wasn't for her we wouldn't have seen the places/things we did..thanks girl...we went to Central Park Zoo.. Had dinner out with the ladies..Chilean food..different. And now as for MIKE....I just knew in my heart he wouldn't like the play and I was right he didn't..he says it was ok..but i can tell he didn't like it...He had more fun at the stage door. He knew he was on a mission to get good video footage..and bless his heart he did.
He thinks RF is a great actor..on stage and in films..it just wasn't his kind of play..but he did it for me...what a guy..just love him. He did enjoy NYC..he loves it there..plus we did so much walking..my little feet hurt. So that's pretty much it..Wonderful time...Glad to have met Cindy, Luvdoggie and her friend and sister-in-law...Good to see Van and Katherine again. I think Cindy had a great first time out. Funny thing we (Mike and I) saw Luvdoggie and her sister-in-law at the airport ready to go home..so we visited for a little bit. They were only a couple of gates from ours, leaving only 5 minutes in front of us. Ok so I'll get the video and pics up later today..and then Mary can add them to the mini-site.

5/20/06 Cindy's Ralph Experience

Hello!!!!

I probably should post my 'report' on one of the established threads but right now I am a bit tired--a good type of tired--and couldn't decide which thread to use.....

I had an amazing time in NYC. The weather [I do obsess a bit about weather] was COLD for this Florida girl. Suffice to say that the temps that ranged between the low 50s to upper 60s and the added wind CHILL factor created a Florida Winter for me!! I left NYC early this afternoon with 65 degrees to return to Gainesville's 91 degrees.

While in NY is met and spent time with Honey and her husband. Both are wonderful, generous, thoughtful people!!! I also met and had dinner with Katherine and Evelyn.....and wish I had had more time to spend with both of them. The dinner at Pomaire was 'Fantastic' though...ahem...the service lacking. Being a bit on the assertive side....I want to again say that I hope that I did not annoy anyone by speaking up about the service.

And, now to the play. I saw it Friday night and also saw the Sunday Matinee. I have to admit that I thought I may have oversaturated myself with all things related to "Mr. Fiennes" a day or two before I flew to NY...... .....silly me....when the curtain crossed the stage I grabbed Paul's arm and whispered...OMG.....I'm going to see Ralph in STAGE!!! Paul is such a wonderful friend....truly he delighted in my delight...

The play was amazing. I had read the play about 2 1/2 months before I went to NY so I knew what to expect.....except of course, Ralph's performance and presence on stage. I'm not sure I know how to convey it....other than to say what many other forumers have already shared....he has a presence on stage....different from what you see on screen. The obvious reasons for that aside....he just comes alive. I will say that at this first performance that I saw that the fourth monologe seemed lacking....I clearly remember thinking...this is not working for me....and thought that perhaps I had heard too much about how powerful this last monologe [i'm misspelling this word eh?] was .....but I was not disappointed other than that....HOWEVER...on Sunday, at the Matinee...and my seat was loser
[Shammy...you were right...I was about 12 feet from the stage....and I think may have had the same seat you had...row D, seat 109??]....anyway...the second performance was as wonderful as the first....and...the fourth monologe was more powerful. In part because I was sitting close enough to be able to see Ralph's expressions, the emotive quality during that last monologe....but also because he changed his performance a bit....that segment when he is standing at that back of the stage....before he walks forward....there were some additional gestures, though subtle....that enhanced it all......

And of course, Ian and Cherry were also wonderful. On Friday night I thought Cherry may have been a bit 'over the top' or over emotional...but having some time to digest the entire play and performances before I saw it again....I thought she conveyed her anguish as I have actually witnessed with some clients that I work ith....[those that know the play or have seen it....SPOILER perhaps coming up........

she may have played the aspect of potential mental illness in Grace's character...certainly it is intimated in the play...but that is part of my interpretation...

Possible SPOILER ended.....

Ian's performance was also amazing. I was not familiar with him at all....did not connect the whole Star Wars thing with him until this play.....he is a wonderful actor and I would predict that he will be the one to win the Tony for his performance....though that is not to say that Ralph should not in my opinion....

I would love to talk about this play in more detail with those that have seen it and share impressions, not necessarily about the performances but the play itself but don't want to go into my thoughts about it here since there are forumers that will still be going to see the play.....so let me know if you want to discuss the play...I really would love to do so.

OH...almost forgot....slap on forehead....both performances I attended received standing ovations, bravos, etc...Ralph looked genuinely emotional.....humble...wonderful during these ovations....and...as I recall more....no one snickered when he said the line about being unfaithful to
Grace....on Friday there was gentle low key laughter when Grace said that Frank was not a good looking man....and a damnable cell phone rang once
during each performance....but the ring was ONCE and thankfully immediately stopped.....how many times do they have to announced to turn your cell phone
OFFF.......completely???????...however....there was the competing sounds of sirens and car horns honking outside....during the play...but blessedly...not during Ralph's monologues....

Stage door experiences.....

Firstly, Ralph came out after every performance while I was in NYC....to include, according to Evelyn, after the matinee on Saturday. ...I was not at the stage door then....

Ralph's persona outside of performing is very different than on stage....wow...what an absolutely obvious statement to make....let me start again....

Ralph was, gracious, accomodating, polite.....he smiled....and I will admit I was at the stage door a number of times...both of the times I went to the play and also when Honey and company saw the play on Saturday. Friday night I was able, thanks to Honey and her hubby...to be right at the front of the barricade....Ralph comes out....he signs ...walks towards where we are...and as he gets to us....I somehow managed to say.."Mr. Fiennes, I just the play and your performance was amazing....." I may have said magnificent...I really don't recall but suspect that I would not have been able to sputter 'magnificent' but who knows....I don't...anyway....I then became aware that Ralph was standing directly in front of me.....and was looking at me and smiling...[I swear I dissassoicated for a few seconds...] because I suddenly became aware that here was Ralph...looking at me with his amazing eyes and smiling and saying thank you to me....whilst he was signing my playbill....then on Saturday....though I did not see the play...I was there to meet up with Honey etc....and here comes Ralph again....I was not seeking
an autograph...though I was taking pix....anyway...as he walked by...he suddenly turned his head and apparently recognized me....[at least that is the interpretation those around me made...] and he smiled...and again I was able to speak and say..."Congratulations on your Tony nominations"....he was signing a playbill but turned again and told me "thank you very much...".....

Maybe these experiences sound silly....but for me...I wanted to basically....if I was able and I was...to say to him that his acting is wonderful and I wanted to congratulate him on his nomination....and I managed to do both....and he acknowledged it...which....actually...I am not surprised at....I am surprised and delighted that I did speak up and convey to him what I did....

I said he was gracious, accomodating etc...at the stage door...he comes out about 20 minutes or so after the play is over. He is prepared for the people...he even has his own sharpie if someone does not have one....which I think is cute and again...accomodating. We all know he is a shy and private man....but he is also willing, within reason....to respond to his fans. He looked happy ....I am not commenting on how he may feel in his private life....but at the stage door, by and large...he looked happy, willing to attend to the fans...it does not take much of his time....from the time he comes out of the stage door til he gets to his car its about 15 minutes....at best....the crowd Saturday was the largest...Sunday...it was a bit more hectic and a bit more crowded at he walked to his car and I felt
badly for him....BUT...there is security around him...and they do a wonderful job of being present but not overbearing....

bottom line for me...Ralph seems from my experience...to have settled in to the stage door experience.....and he was the first to come out....

before I FINALLY close....Ian and Cherry were also great at the stage door...esp. Cherry....she agreed to take pix with fans....I told her that I had flown up from Florida to see the play and she asked me where in Florida I camefrom...and obviously I was able to speak with ease with her....but besides that....she is just wonderful. She did not come out on Sunday but sent at message explaining why.....overall....I thought how the stage door issue was handled was appropriate and respectful. Certainly, I was and am delighted.

I will be seening Honey pix for her to post....I am hopeless with that....but likely it will be sometime next week before I get them to her.....

Signing off,

Cindy

05/20/06 Evelyn's High Time at the Booth

Okay, I have a quiet moment to talk about my NYC trip. I wanted to write about it before it becomes a faded memory. It was great meeting up with Honey, Honey's hubby, Katherine & Cindy. It made this NYC more exciting.

My sis-in-law & I arrived Friday evening after 3 hour delay at airport due to a brief storm that hit NY that day. Stayed at Paramount Hotel just one block away from Booth Theater. I highly recommend Hotwire for booking hotel rooms. For $150 per night (tax included), we were conveniently located to everything - theaters, TKTS, Times Square, restaurants, subway, etc.

PLAY
Set decoration was a dingy room with a fireplace at far end, slightly to the right of center. Several chairs (wooden seat & back on metal frame - reminded me of school) were placed at right side of stage. One chair in back was strewn on floor. Frank Hardy's outfit was what I almost pictured from the playbook. His suit jacket (90's style IMO) was stained on his left side, like it faded in parts over time to a pinkish tinge and sleeves by wrist was at the point of fraying. He wore a white vertical striped shirt under the pinstripe suit and had black shoes scuffed up by toe area. Also, I especially noticed the green socks to match the green necktie.

I read playbook at least 2x before I saw FH on Saturday. Since I'm not an actor, I didn't know what to expect with the facial expressions for each act. Seeing it live makes the play so much more surreal. Lines were funnier as you watched Ralph's facial expressions. After seeing him in Corio, RII, and Brand, I knew he is quite powerful when he delivers his lines. My friends in the front row noticed that when he was about to loose control in his speaking he would step back from the edge of the stage so not to direct his spit to the audience. Wonderful performance in Part 1 & 4. I waited anxiously to hear him sing after everyone talked about it. Lovely voice and in tune.

With rows AA & BB in Orch Center, audience had to look upwards. Poor woman in row BB was complaining she had a stiff neck afterwards. Stage was about 3+ feet above us. Plenty of leg room in the front row and the speakers weren't very loud at all.

With the role of Grace, I expected her to be more an emotional wreck. I did notice that her cigarettes were definitely not tobacco base since I wasn't gagging to death with the smell. Yes, just herbal leaves burning. Cherry was very emotional at the beginning with tears pouring down her face. She made blowing her nose in the tissue very believable. I did notice her lack of an Irish/British accent, mostly American throughout. It didn't detract from her performance since I was focusing on what the whole story was about.

Ian's Teddy was magnificent. Oh gosh, I just cracked up seeing and hearing him. I knew I would love him in this role. It was perfect for Ian. Loved the plaid slippers and slick back red hair. That Jerome Kern song will now forever be my favorite. I love old time music especially during the era of WWII. I tried counting the number of "beers" he opened & drank. Since I saw the matinee & evening perf that day, Teddy opened his beers at specific points of the play. It was like clockwork. One beer here & there. 3 beers removed from the fridge, etc. :sleep Okay, I almost fell asleep with Ian b/c the lighting was too dark for my taste. Yawning just to keep awake.

Definitely emotional rollercoaster for each actor. Standing ovation at the end. Ralph looked please to hear the loud cheers for Ian and glanced over to him when it happened. Main difference I saw with matinee & evening perf - more laughs during matinee. Evening perf they played it down a bit since audience seemed more serious.

STAGEDOOR
We took a chance at stagedoor after matinee show to see if they perhaps would exit. Anyhow, they did. Very large crowd since I think there were passerbys stopping to see what was going on. Ralph was very gracious & signing autographs and even talking to a few people in the process. One Irish woman from I believe either County Donegal or Galway told him she also saw him in Dublin and he glanced up and smiled at her. Her face as she exited the crowd was precious. Her excitement was beaming from her face. No autographs for me here since I was trying to videotape the chaos. Gosh, wished I was at least 5 inches taller & I may have gotten a better view of him on the camcorder. Ian came afterwards with his infamous floppy hat. Crowd had dispersed by then since majority of autograph seekers were looking for Ralph. And by the time Cherry came out, it was more orderly with people lined up by barricade. Cherry took pictures with people and even hugged a couple. Very sweet. Got her autograph then.

After the evening performance at stagedoor, I stood at the end of the line with Cindy. I figured this was my last opportunity to get autographs from Ian & Ralph. Honey & her hubby headed closer to the stagedoor to get a better view, especially for the camera & camcorder. As we were standing in line, 2 theater security guys behind the barricades were mentioning to Cindy that Ralph doesn't do photos with people. Ralph finally came out after about 30 minutes. There must have been visitors inside that kept the actors from exiting the building. I kept seeing the actor (Jeffrey Jones) who played Ferris Bueller's principal in movie FB's Day Off. Wierd. Okay, as people like my sis-in-law were snapping away with their digital camera, I was trying to guage Ralph's mood that evening. Very cordial and accomodating to his fans, i.e. signing autographs with his own Sharpie, posing for pictures (by himself of course), saying thank you, and even making eye contact with people. When he finally came to sign my playbill, I said congrats on his nomination. He looked briefly upwards and said thank you. And off he went to the sunset... No really, more people were waiting for him beyond the barricade. I didn't want to bother him further since I was there to see Ian and Cherry also. No hat that evening on Ian. He said he was giving it a rest that day. Should have congratulated him also for his nomination but that thought escaped me. Same thing happened - Crowd dispersed once Ralph left. Of course, Cherry was very gracious to everyone afterwards. I asked her about her Chicago background and then she mentioned the Doubt Tour which I need to catch when it comes to town.

Okay, time for bed. Pics will be posted once I get copy of CD from sis-in-law.

Evelyn

P.S. My other thoughts about last Saturday....

Cherry as an actor is a powerhouse. Very strong woman. Honey could probably explain the difference since she saw both Cherry & Ingrid in the role of Grace. If you didn't read through the play beforehand, I would have thought that Cherry would have "weathered the storm." Yes, I think Cherry needs to add a bit more vulnerability in her interpretation to make the ending more believable.

When Teddy did his impersonation of Frank, I could almost picture Ralph say those same words. Ian's speech pattern was so like Ralph. I was so impressed how he picked up subtle speech patterns that belongs to Ralph alone.

Oh, I can still picture in my mind how Ralph as Frank wiped off soot from the fireplace mantel and soot flew in the air. I saw dark marks on this fingers as he walked back to the front of the stage. There was one point in Part 1 where I thought he was going to stare down at me but he ended up doing that instead to my friend on the right side. I literally almost swooned.

I didn't leave my seat during intermission so I wasn't able to tell if there were any celebrities in the theatre. I did try to pan my eyes around during intermission to see if I recognized any actors. Sorry, no such luck. Plus if they were there, I have such an awful time of recognizing them. They would probably need to have their names on their forehead before I realized who they are.

Another thing, people were mentioning how quickly they changed the set decoration after each part. My theory is the curtain that moves across the stage (white material with projected image reminding me of a desolate Scottish area in winter like Kinlochbervie) & the "music" covers up the decoration switcheroo. Also, for Teddy & Grace, their chairs were on top of throw rugs which would make it easier to pull the set decoration on and off the stage. Plus,they would require several very quiet toed stage hands to help out.

05/10/06 Aireen is Touched by the Great One

Good morning and greetings from NY everyone!

It's the morning after I saw Faith Healer last night. Let me just say that this is definitely a positive report. I must start from the beginning of my day, however. You will see the relevance in a bit.

Yesterday morning, we started our day by watching the Today show on t.v. The actresses who played Blair, Joe, and Natalie from The Facts of Life were the guests. Conicidentally, that same day while shopping with my sister at the H&M store, we ran into Blair(Lisa Welchel) who was shopping there as well. I couldn't believe that on my next NY trip, I was having another encounter with a childhood star of the 80's(last time I was in New York, I ran into Scott Baio- "Chachie" at a bar in the Hudson Hotel). You could imagine my excitement.

OK, next it was time for Faith Healer. I was completely blown away. What I couldn't believe was how much clearer it was to me after reading the play last year. I was able to follow along even though there were moments of distraction where I was reminded of "Oscar" again such as in the part where Ralph's character raises a piece of a newpaper article in his hand that prints Frank Hardy's name incorrectly. I instantly thought of the pub scene in O&L when Oscar offers Jeffrey's bonus in the air to a game of poker. Anyways, Ralph was magnificent, making use of the entire stage, talking to the audience, giving us the feeling that we were Frank Hardy's faith healing audience as he desparately tried to convince us with his own perspective of the events in his life.

Cherry Jones's performance shook me. It was so raw and emotional that certain aspects during her monologue reminded me of people I have taken care of in the hospital. The frustration, the lack of sympathy she felt from Frank Hardy -it was almost so real. I really felt sorry for her character. The end of her monologue was so powerful that the timing of the intermission was perfect b/c it not only gave the audience some time to process the events, but some well-needed recovery from her overall, powerful performance.

During intermission, I spotted Mario Cantone in the audience. For you Sex And the City fans, he played Anthony Marantino, Charlotte's Sicilian gay wedding coordinator. He also had a small part in Quiz Show as the guy yelling at Charles Van Doren from the outside of the phone booth. If you only knew the excitement I was feeling being the huge SATC fan I am. This was definitely BIG...

Next was Teddy. The audience in general was very receptive to Ian. I felt they were more receptive to him than the other characters. Ian was so animated. I actually enjoyed his performance. In a way, it was the comedy relief part of the show - a very necessary part after the storm of Cherry Jone's character. I loved the Hugh Hefner red jacket he was wearing. He was very relaxed and enjoyed himself telling his version of the events to the audience.

Ralph came back out, and b/f I knew it, it was all over. People applauded. I waited to join others in giving the cast a standing ovation. But to my disappointment, no one did. To make up for last year, I stood up. I was the only one in the bottom section who did and clapped as hard as I could.

Afterwards, we went to the stage door. First Ian came out and he signed my program. My sister asked me for her program and she managed to get her program signed as well. Next it was Ralph. There was a woman on my left who had the nerve to get Ralph to sign her playbill -not from Faith Healer. Ralph even told her, "You did not even see my play." To which the woman didn't even try to deny. The woman on my right asked if she could borrow my Sharpie and I said sure. So Ralph started at the beginning of the assembly line. He signed my sister's program first. Then, the woman on my right took my Sharpie causing me to drop my program on the ground. Ralph skipped me. I was disappointed. My sister felt bad and offered to give me her program. But to me, it wasn't enough b/c I wanted the chance to tell him what I thought of his performance. So I proceeded to the end of the assmbly line. Finally, it was my turn. Ralph signed my program and I got to tell him what a pleasure it is to see his performances, and I even added how I saw him in Julius Caesar last year. At that moment, he looked up, a smile appeared that lit up the rest of his face especially his blue eyes, and then I was paralyzed. It gets even better. He then placed his hand on my shoulder and continued to pat me on my back. I felt like a little kid being rewarded for doing something good. I couldn't believe it. Moreover, it felt like an added bonus, an extention of the power of the Faith Healer's touch. Even my sister(who usually could care less about anything I find exciting or trivial related to Ralph) was impressed. She was very happy for me.

We returned to our hotel and I had a difficult time falling asleep. The moment was still very much alive. My sister took pictures and as soon as I get back, I will share them with you. Well, that's all for now...
Aireen

04/22/06 Anastasia's Report

I'm finally home after flying what seemed like all day! A stop in Chicago, a stop in Kansas City.... I'm sleepy!

I'm so happy to have finally met Katherine and Shammy! Katherine is an excellent New Yorker, she knows where the best sushi is!

I was also worried something terrible might happen to keep me from seeing Ralph. Like an understudy instead or losing my ticket or me falling ill, but all went well. But it was so surreal to be sitting there in the front row just looking up at him, it was almost as if it wasn't really happening, it was as if I were just imagining what it would be like to see him onstage. And I was pretty tired, too, so I was kind of hypnotised by the whole experience.

I had a front row seat, but I was off to the left in an aisle seat. He spent the majority of his time off to the right of the stage or in the centre. He only got really close to me once or twice. He was beautiful, though, mesmerising.

The play is really intense, and I don't think I was really appreciating it while I was experiencing it, but then it hit me later, the severity of it. I have a problem paying attention anyway, I'm pretty sure I've got the adult ADD (like the commercial says, if it seems like you've got a TV in your head and the channels are constantly changing and you can't focus--I've got that, I've always had that), so trying to hold on to 4 half hour monologues that jump around in time and change facts was a bit of a chore. And the fact that I was so stunned to be seeing Ralph just a few feet away from me, made it difficult for me to really pay attention to exactly what he was saying. I was happy that I was going to be seeing the play again the next day.

During the standing ovation a woman slid a bouquet of flowers to Ralph when he took his bow, and he picked them up and immediately handed them over to Cherry Jones with a wink and a smile. I thought it was sweet of him, but I bet the woman who intended them for Ralph might have been a bit peeved perhaps.

After the show I waited outside with Shammy and Katherine. I had scanned and printed a photo I wanted signed, but I wanted it autographed to me personally, not a hurried scribble in a mad frenzy. And I made a card I wanted to give to him, but the crowd was not fun, not fun at all. The majority of them were not in the audience, they were mostly kids (seemed like early-mid 20s) with Harry Potter posters and stuff and Star Wars stuff. They were shoving me from all sides. I stepped back from the rush of the crowd and moved towards the car waiting for Ralph, but by the time he got closer to me, the crowd turned rather mean and really started pushing and shoving and rushing towards him. He passed me quickly, hurrying towards the car, surrounded by some security guys, and the look on his face was awful. He looked very angry and annoyed, and I don't blame him. He knew most of those rude people weren't interested in this play, they were just interested in HP. They were shouting at him. It reminded me of a scene from Breaking Glass when Hazel O'Connor was in a mad crush of fans shoving record albums in her face to autograph and it was overwhelming and she had to be escorted to a waiting car through the crowd. Ralph looked deeply and unhappily overwhelmed. Then I was almost seriously knocked over when the crowed found out that Ian had left by the front doors and dashed into a waiting car and fled. It was really scary.

I went to see the play again the next day at the matinee. I was in the 3rd row centre this time and got a much better look at him--such an intimate theatre! I was amazed that after intermission four people who had been sitting in front of me didn't come back. I looked around and saw that a few others didn't come back. When the lights came up at intermission I heard someone complain, "There's no action! It's all talk!" God forbid you have to think. The man sitting next to me spent most of Grace's and Teddy's monologues falling asleep.

I was happy to see it again, there was a lot I had missed the first time around. In fact, when Ralph comes out for the last time, my heart was pounding because I knew what had happened to his character and I could see it in my head. On a side note, it seemed like they were all holding back on this performance, just a little bit, maybe because they had another one to do just 3 hours later. But I wouldn't have known it if I hadn't seen it the night before. Oh, and someone's mobile started ringing just when Ralph had only a few lines left, right at the end. He didn't flinch, though, it would have ruined that end bit if he had.

I waited outside by the stage door again. This time the crowd was much smaller, only about 30 people which is small compared to what looked like around 100 people the night before. I was pleased to see that most of them had actually been in the theatre watching the play. I didn't see any HP posters or SW stuff. Still, 30 people is too many to have any kind of intimate moments of conversation or autographing or card-giving. I didn't have much hope. Luckily, I had dropped off my card at the stage door about 45 minutes before the show. Hopefully, the person I gave it to didn't just chuck it in the bin.

But it didn't matter because after about 15 minutes a security guard came out and said that Mr Fiennes would not be coming out of the theatre inbetween performances, it's against his policy, but Cherry Jones would be coming out in a few minutes. Lots of people left, but a few remained, which was nice. I stayed for awhile, but I didn't get to see her come out because I was tired and fatigued and wanted to get back to the hotel and clean up to meet Katherine for dinner.

I never made it back to the theatre. I was staying a 40 minute walk away and I just didn't have the energy to keep going over there at 11pm to see if the HP and SW crowds were still there overwhelming the poor guy.

So I've seen him live and it's wonderful, but have yet to speak to him. Well, if he got my card I've spoken to him in a way. What I wrote was far more eloquent than anything that could fall out of my mouth in the 5 seconds I'd have with him at the stage door in a crowd. I hope I get to see him in another play!

04/19/06 Katherine's First Report of Faith Healer in NYC

Hi all,

Just got home from Booth theater this evening's 1st performance of FH(Well, Frank Hardy used this word "Performance" of his healing session in the play)
Actually, I just got home from Asia this afternoon for urgent business trip for a week and I thought I wasn't going to make it to back to town but I made it, tried best to make it! Yes I did:-) So naturally I was bit tired, met up with Shammy of course and Nastia, we had a bite and meeting each other before the play,
As for play, as I mentioned before, I always get so NERVOUS to see 1st time - film or play same thing and I can't really clearly focus and I am glad I have few more tickets for the play so I can really see more details clearly, though I read play before so did Homework, So I prepared, Play was very good, all 3 actors wonderful,
RF of course excellent, Shammy and I felt same that we saw few expressions from RF we never seen before, as you know we have seen a lot! films and plays so its interesting,
He looked properly for play, maybe needed more but thought looked for the part, and he spoke so beautifully! Once he is on stage, he is always so mesmerizing!
Cherry Jones who played Gracie was very good, it must be so hard for her to speak all that line sitting on the chair, she showed much emotions and depth, very moving, just tiny observation, don't think she spoke with Irish accent,
and of course, Ian McDiarmid, he is scean stealer, cheer leader, audience gave standing ovation after play!

Now stage door, soon as we came out from theater to stage door, we saw HUGE crowd OH NO!!!!!!!!!!this is not good, we know how much RF doesn't like this! and half of them are not RF fans, they are probably Star Wars fans waiting for Ian(I never seen Star Trek movies but told Ian was on it)
Anyway, after half an hour RF came out, looking uncomfortable, but polite oblige to sign autograph way to taxi waiting for him, I managed take 1 picture and felt instantly so Bad as I was doing it perhaps the fleshlight from camera went up and maybe bothered him and last thing I want to distrubing him for anything! Shammy was able to get an autograph and she had to rush to catch train back home.
We met another nice fan who recognized me and Shammy and introduce herself to us gracefully and it was very nice.
OK its short report and its very late now.

03/31/06 Sugarpaste Reports in from the Stage Door

It was b****y freezing tonight and blowing a gale, i nearly gave up as i was very tired. anyway he came out and i was stood right at the bottom of the steps, he walked left but he was with a woman who was dressed all in black, her head and face covered with a scarf. i tried to get a glimpse but couldn't see. She was making him smile, he looked very smart and handsome.

Hi Guys...finally home...just to say..what a absolute ball we had..i was so happy to meet up with everyone..i may not be as crazy about ralph as i once was..but i wouldnt give up meeting any of you guys thats for anything!!!..
The weather took a turn for the worse Monday night..i think it was a jinx that we said what a lovely day it was in the morning..in the evening the heavens opened (not that it hadnt rained all four days you understand!)....it was etremely windy and bitterly cold...me and my poor sister stood for 30 mins waiting for ralph to come out....we were huddled in the corner as it was just so windy.....i can honestly say i was mad to have stayed waiting as if im honest i dont think even the most ardent fans would have endured the weather...........anyway quite a few people came out after the performance although i dont think it would have been a full house!..maybe people are just finding out about the extension...nobody waited of course....so cos i was stood to one side, when he did eventually come out he walked the opposite side to where we were stood and so i would of had to run and call after him to get his attention,but because he was chatting and walking closely with the lady in black..i felt a bit awkward as i wasnt sure he would appreciate it..maybe if others had been there it would have been different but it was just me!!!!!...but it was nice to get a glimpse of him looking so handsome..he was clean shaven, hair neatly brillcreamed back and wearing a light coloured woollen overcoat..very 40s...Yummy!..goes to show how much ive changed as at one time i would have been so dissapointed with not getting an autograph or a picture or to even speak with him,but i can safely say i was pretty satisfied with just getting a glimpse of him close by!!.
The woman:
She was very slim and dressed completely in black..no flesh at all showing..she had pretty high shoes on and a pencil skirt too, she did turn slight to the side and she had what both my sister and i described as either a veil of some kind attached to the scarf or she was dark skinned?????????
anyway they walked up the street and my sister was trying to get me to approach him (bless her) but it just didnt feel right.....we eventually walked behind them and they turned left then into what seems to be the carpark at the back of the theatre??..that was it, i went back to my warm hotel for a coffee.

The play:
I must say its probably my least favourite of all the plays ive seen..not because the acting was poor or the story boring...it was because of all the dialogue...you really had to concentrate otherwise you found your mind just wandering..especially if you were feeling a little tired....i noticed ralph lost his irish twang now and again..he was good and funny which i liked.........unfortunately the second half for me was spoilt...even though like everyone said Ian was spot on..i loved the way he played the character..i couldnt see very well at all...and there is nothing worse...i like to see the face of a person when they are speaking..but all i got was someones head in front of me and had to keep peeking between heads!!..i get the impression everyone enjoyed the second half of the play best...even last night i heard people saying the same thing when they were leaving the play.
Oh just to mention as i thought it quite funny..my sister was sat much further back than we were in the theatre..so during the interval she walked down to where we were seated and i stood in the aisle with her and the first thing i said to her was..."soo...did ya fall asleep then?"..thats when i looked up and spotted Kristin Scott thomas..she was looking at me...i guess thats when Gigi must have spotted her too..it became a little convention in the aisle then as word got around ..i really hope she didnt repeat to ralph what id said!!!!

03/31/06 Stella Sounds Off

Hi All, Firstly I must tell you about the small article in the Irish Daily Mirror. It seems on March 6th during the last section of RF's performance some woman's in the front row mobile phone went off. RF got very annoyed and pointed at her shouting "will you turn that F**king thing off"Fair comment I thought. Afterwards he reportedly joked to the woman "I'll heal you later" Now theres' a promise!!!!!

I have to say that I had the most fantastic time in Dublin with everyone. We all get along so well we talk, tell stories, laugh. It really is so much fun and one of the great achievements of the Forum.

Mary has already posted my report of Thursday. Friday we went to see the play. I was tired and I did not feel engaged by the story at all. Yes RF's performance was good but he was outshone by Ian Mc Diarmand who incidently received the loudest cheer at the curtain call. We waited outside and RF came out with the stripey beeny hat on and his backpack. He went to walk straight off until he was approached by some of our group, he signed a few autographs - no pictures. Then he got into a taxi, a fan knocked the window to speak to him and he wound it down, smiling he chatted briefly. As he drove off he waved and smiled at us - he also did a bit of a double take as if to say I've seen you lot before- hehehehe.

Saturday I was not so tired and enjoyed the play more. The whole gang was there and we took pics of ourselves on the theatre steps. You heard how RF came out hailed a cab and drove off.I did take a pic as they drove off, we shall enlist the FBI to digitally enhance it,

I am quite an observant person, I watched KST reading her programme for quite a while. I cannot recall seeing a large diamond on her finger. In fact I cannot recall any rings at all. She was wearing dark jeans, navy jacket white shirt, beige raincoat and a cream knitted woollen hat.

When we got back yesterday we caught a train from the airport. On the TV they were showing clips from the White Countess and interviews with RF & Natasha......Topped the trip off nicely.

03/31/06 Honey's Review

hello all, i'm still away and won't be back until next week, but i'll tell you a bit about the trip. We first got into Dublin on Thursday night..put our stuff away and then headed off to the theatre...where Eva and Janeka (sp) had been to see FH. We waited outside for the girls, we where the only two outside..then all of a sudden Ralph comes out the stage door, that was down by the door..Eva and Janeka was waiting upstairs..so they missed him. He came out and looked right at us and then hopped in a cab and went off. We didn't think he was going to come out and we wasn't ready. He went by so fast and we just stood there and looked at him....Oh and BTW he looked great. Then we saw the play on Friday night..either something was missing or it was just coz i was so very tired but i just about feel asleep during the lady's part. After the play we all stood outside and here he comes and Eva went up to him and then i made my move...putting two programs in front of him asking if he would mind if he could sign both of them...he looked at me and then signed both with a little smile and then that was it...he jumped in a cab and went off. he seemed to be ok..but no pictures!!! I then got Ian's autograph,,he was pleasent..Then the door man came outside and asked us if we where waiting for Ralph and we said no coz we had already seen him..after getting Ian's autograph we thought wouldn't it be nice to then get the lady's too..get all three on the program. So the doorman asked us if we wanted to go inside coz she was at the bar...so a few of us did and she was very nice talked to us for a bit and signed the programs. Then on Saturday night there was like 13 of us there for the play..what a nice group. I really got more out of the play on Saturday night..things where catching up with me and i felt better plus i was sitting up close and really could get into it better. Ian's performance was great he kept me going..laughting and then feeling sad. Ralph and of course i can't spell her name but they where wonderful too. It seemed a little different from Friday night. During the halftime of the play someone from the IRC noticed KST sitting a few rows behind us but she had a program in here hand and had it up close to her face with her head down a bit..probably coz she didn't want anyone to notice her..but we did. She looked really lovely. Then we thought while you can forget RF tonight..he will probably be going out with her. Then when the play ended a few of us went outside and a few stayed inside. I was outside..i thought since i got the autograph the night before i would go for a picture this time. While by time i got my camera out and was trying to get it ready someone said there he goes..he darted passed me pretty fast..ran across the street to flag down a taxi and started to jump in it and then out of no where here comes KST and she ran across the street and jumped into his taxi and then off they went. i didn't get a chance to get the camera out..it all happened so fast. So I don't think there will be any pictures of him from a forum member of Ralph outside the theatre from this play in Dublin...lets hope maybe we can get something in NYC. On Monday morning Stella and I had a really nice Irish Breakfest and was reading the Irish Mirror paper..there was a article about how RF got mad at a lady sitting in the front row of FH on March 6th....when her cell phone went off..during the last part of the play..RF got upset and told her to turn that F****ing thing off..then said I will heal you later i think with a smile. We noticed when we where in the theatre the doorman told everyone to make sure all cell phones where turned off..that they have had some problems with cell phones..mainly with this production. Ok so that's if from me for now.... This has been a wonderful trip for me..getting to see some friends again..we all had a great time sitting in the pubs having a pint and talking and laughting it was wonderful. Can't wait until next time.

HONEY

03/31/06 Doulla's Second Time Around

Got back from Dublin today. Had a wonderful time, such fun meeting all the forumers. Infact there were so many of us, Gigi H had the brilliant idea of calling it the International Rafe Convention (IRC)!! Stella, Honey, Eva, Janika, Frances, Robert, Gigi C, Gigi H and her husband, Shugs and her sister...hope I haven't forgotten anyone.

There were very mixed reactions to the play, as I'm sure you'll hear when everyone gets back; I found Ralph's performance more aggressive than when I last saw it, and the audience was not as responsive, but I still enjoyed it very much.

Lovely surprise seeing Kristen Scott Thomas in the audience! Such a shame they didn't re-enact their scenes from TEP as we'd hoped...missed opportunity, I think!!

After the play some of us waited outside the theatre, but the speed with which both Ralph and KST shot past us was truly amazing. Most of us hadn't even realised they'd come out!! I just managed to get a glimpse of them before they jumped into the taxi and drove off!

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to reading what everyone else has to say about the play and their trip to Dublin. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and meeting so many lovely people.

03/21/06 Liberty's Irish Adventure

Lib's trip to Ireland (For pics visit the photos page)

Saturday :
I got up at 4.30am... and oddly enough, I find it much easier than getting up at 6.30 to go to work... the whole trip to Dublin went smoothly, bus, bus, plane, bus, I didn't have any problem, even in Dublin, thanks to Clifton's directions. And guess what was the first thing I saw when I got off the bus ??? It was too early to go collect my ticket, so I went to the hostel and met up with other assistants, a Spanish (and very good looking !) guy, a Spanish girl and a French girl. We went to Trinity College, but couldn't see the Book of Kells because the queue was huge - good reason to come back to Dublin ! Then we went for lunch, and afterwards I left them because it was time for me to go to the play.

I had a very good seat, tenth row, the last seat on the left. I was sitting next to a very nice looking guy... They asked us to switch our mobiles off, it seems to be quite an issue because they repeated it several times and said it again after intermission. But we were lucky and no phone rang during the play.
The play... the play was awesome. I think I've never seen such a good play in my entire life. The first time I read it, I wasn't sure about it, I didn't like it as much as I would have liked to like it. Then I read it one more time on the plane to refresh my memory because I was afraid I would find it difficult to understand Teddy's monologue. But to see the play on stage... it changes it all. Theatre is so made to be seen on stage, to be acted... The three comedians were at their best. Ralph was Frank Hardy. And it was great, because he really had a connection with the audience, he was talking to us, sharing his tale of lies and failure... I had the feeling he really was telling his story to us, as a story teller. Then Ingrid Craigie, she looked so vulnerable and sad as Grace, she almost made me cry. You could feel her pain...

And then, intermission. Good looking went to see his friends who were not sitting with him, and I had a chat with a nice lady, we chatted about the actors' accents... she told me Ralph had quite a neutral accent, and I was glad because that was what I thought too. Then Good Looking came back and asked me if I was enjoying the play, he thought it was brilliant, not only good looking but brainy, too ! We chatted a bit, and then the play resumed. They had a thing with a curtain I thought was a great idea : the curtain would just slide on the front of the stage between each monologue, very swiftly, with some kind of sad music in the background and the projection of a deserted road on the curtain.
Ian McDiarmid was FAN-TAS-TIC. I loved his performance. SO funny, cocky and garrulous : he had not finished his first line that the whole audience was completely in love with him. He made us laugh, stirred us, went from mere comedy to deep melancholy... I had no idea he was such a great comedian, I'd only seen him in... Starwars so far And then Ralph came back for the last monologue, and by this time I was so deeply engrossed I was sitting on the edge of my chair. Never a dull moment, it was a great, great performance, to Ingrid, Ralph and Ian and to the director, what an AWESOME job they made.

Then... no news from my cousin so far so I decided to hang around the stage door. I had a text from Alkioni though, and it made me think how great it would have been to share the play with one of you gals !!
As Alkioni told us, the stage door is inside the theatre, just next to the box office. I chatted a bit with a girl who was queuing to try and get tickets for the night's performance, just because she had the bag I've been looking for for ages, and I'd promised myself I'd ask the next person I'd see carrying it where they got it.
Ralph came out 15 minutes later, and he was in such a hurry I couldn't even stop him. I was a wee bit disappointed... I said goodbye to the girl with the bag, and came out of the theatre... and there he was, signing a few autographs !! So I took out my copy of FH and handed it out to him... I told him, the play was great and I thanked him... and now I'll cherish my copy of Faith Healer forever !! He was wearing white baggy pants, a black reefer jacket (that's the word the dictionary's given me... I don't know if you see what kind of a coat it is, I've got one myself, I just love them !) and a black and white woollen hat. He looked really beat and in a hurry, that's why I didn't ask him more. He had not shaven, and his hair was a bit too long for my taste... I don't have any pictures because I was alone, and it was difficult to handle the book, the pen (he used mine !) and all, let alone a camera, and he was in a hurry anyway... then I decided to go, and what a surprise to realise he was going my way !! We crossed two streets side by side, and we strolled down O'Connell Street for a hundred meters roughly, that was brilliant !! He was busy with his phone, probably texting, and nobody recognized him on the street... I wanted to share that moment with one of you, and since I have Alkioni's phone number, I texted her... and then my cousin phoned and I lost Ralph. But believe me, to me, it was enough, I was content !!

My cousin phoned, then, and he told me he was on his way to pick me up, he told me to make it snappy so we could get a chance to see the end of the rugby game. But when we arrived to Dun Laoghaire (pronounced, for some reasin, Dun Leary...), a harbour south of Dublin where he was on a sailing coaching job, the game was just over... I found out France had won the Tournament and Ireland the Triple Crown, that was cool ! Tom and I went for a pizza with a couple of Northern Irish guys he coaches, Steven and... R, yep, same as the waiter I fancy !! We had fun, we watched a tape they'd recorded this day, sailing boats, the sea and big waves, that was beautiful, and then Tom and I went for a drink to catch up, coz it had been ages since we'd last seen each other. He drove me back up to the hostel around 0.30, and I was knackered.

Sunday
I was as tired getting up as I was going to bed... not good, awful night, I couldn't sleep a wink. But the other assistants decided we would take the sight seeing bus tour... but on foot !! So we walked, walked, walked, and that was nice but tiring ! And I was beginning to feel the cold settling in... Nice encounters on the way. The weather was not great, very cold and windy, but we saw nice spots : the Liffey River, O'Connell Bridge, Saint Stephen's Green, not forgetting the good ol' habits . I may have found the key to Ralph's gorgeous corporeal scent too... We went for lunch in a nice pub, where Irish people were singing Irish folk songs, even Molly Malone !! But I would not take R in this place though ...
Then the Spanish assistants wanted to walk all the way to Phoenix Park, but I was so knackered I hung around in Temple Bar where there was a jazz concert.
I went to my bed at 9pm, but didn't sleep better...

Monday
Really knackered and down with the cold... I was alone this day, the other assistants had left the night before. First I went to the General Post Office to get stamps, and this reminded me of last year when I studied Yeats in English literature, our teacher told us about the Easter Rising and such. Then I went to the Dublin Writer Museum, it was really interesting to hear about all the great Irish writers. I bought a CD of readings of some of Yeats' poems, because he is one of my favorite poets - my favorite is not on the CD though...
Shopping then... a Tshirt and a Guinness mug for me, plus a wee minding for my flatmate. I was really beat, and it was raining too... I went into bookshops mostly, and wandered around in streets I don't even remember the names... and then I had to go to the airport, and that was over, and I think I'd never reached that state of exhaustion in my entire life.

Another thing... when I got to Glasgow at last, I felt really strange... it was the first time I was coming back there from somewhere else than home in France, and I really had a feeling of homecoming... no kidding, I know the play is about that too, but it really felt odd... and good !!

02/17/06 Doulla Does Dublin!

Phew! Made it at last! Sorry it's taken me so long but a few problems on the way and am still trying to get to grips with events on the old and new forum.

Anyway, here is my review and I'll start a separate thread re Dublin and the stage door incase people don't want to read the spoilers.

I’m sorry the review is so long, but I adored this play so much and wanted to capture every moment.

The main thing I’ve taken away is how extraordinarily beautiful the writing is; I thought so when I read the book but when you hear it performed by actors of the calibre of RF, Ian McDiarmid and Ingrid Craigie it raises it to another level. You hear every word…you listen to every word.

The set is painted black and is completely empty with the exception of a cast iron fireplace at the back. Then a curtain is drawn horizontally across the stage revealing, as if from nowhere, a few chairs and Frank standing sideways in a long overcoat and trilby, the hat casting shadows over Ralph’s exquisite profile. It is done so quickly and silently that it feels like magic.

Ralph’s performance as Frank is completely mesmerising, He manages to engage with the audience yet at the same time remains detached. He is funny, sad, bitter, pathetic…he conveys so many emotions with just a single glance. And he does the meanest, most hilarious impersonation of Ian McDiarmid as Teddy. It’s a truly awe inspiring performance. He is on for about half an hour but you just don’t want it to end.

The curtain draws across the stage again and suddenly Frank has disappeared and Grace is there, sitting in an armchair smoking under a table lamp. The transition is done in a matter of seconds and completely silently.

Ingrid Craigie is excellent. It’s a hard part as it is essentially tragic and doesn’t have the humour that Frank and Teddy’s monologues have to lift it. Her recollection of events is, quite literally, through a grey cloud, bitter and heartbreaking.

After the interval, the white curtain pulls across the stage to reveal Teddy, resplendent in velvet smoking jacket and slippers, with his thin hair greased flat across his head. He is sitting in an armchair, glass in hand, listening to a gramophone record “The Way You Looked Tonight” with a cupboard full of beer underneath.

Ian McDiarmid? Well, what can you say? It is the show stopping role and he played it to perfection. He had the audience eating out of his hands, one minute crying with laughter, the next stunned into silence by some shocking, painful event he recalls. Wonderful, wonderful performance.

Finally, the curtain pulls across and Frank is standing there on a completely bare stage.
His closing monologue is surreal, other wordly…by then you know what must have really happened, but you don’t want to hear it. And then he starts walking slowly towards the audience as though he is finally surrendering himself to the inevitable…

I saw the play two nights running and though Faith Healer must be one of the most demanding plays for an actor, the performances never faltered; they were as fresh the second night as they were the first.

I feel so lucky to have been able to see this play in Dublin. It meant so much being in the writer’s home country watching it in this tiny theatre surrounded by Irish people. I can’t wait to see what American audiences will make of it and whether it will feel any different. Honey is the only person who will be able to tell us as she is seeing it in both countries. According to the programme Faith Healer was felt to be too demanding for Broadway audiences when they tried to stage it there a few years ago…but then they didn’t bank on the Fiennes Forum factor!! Enjoy it everyone!

Doulla xx

And her stage door experience....

I think Alkioni has already described this in another thread, so sorry if I'm repeating what's already been said.

The stage door at the Gate Theatre is downstairs in the entrance foyer, but the actors tend to come out of the door at the top of the stairs near the bar area. Because it’s inside the theatre there are no casual autograph hunters, only the people who’ve been to see the play.

On the first night Ralph came out about 15 minutes after most of the audience had left. He looked painfully thin but so beautiful. There were 10-15 people there and he signed autographs etc but didn’t stay long. He seemed tired and anxious, but didn’t mind signing a photo I’d brought along of my daughter’s Oscar & Lucinda bears. He asked her name and signed it then added “(Oscar!)” underneath which was so sweet of him. I’m going to surprise her with it when she gets back from her skiing holiday. She’ll be thrilled.

He made everyone laugh when a couple of women came up to shake his hand and they were about to say “That was fantastic” and before they could get the word out he said “faantaastic” in his best Teddy impersonation.

On the second night I didn’t see RF at all, but I met Ingrid Craigie who is absolutely charming and very sweet. I asked her how the actors remembered such long monologues and she said the play is so beautifully written it’s not as hard as it seems. Also they’d been rehearsing for 7 weeks. I was also lucky enough to get Ian McDiarmid’s autograph before he shot off to the bar!

Taking photos is an absolute NO! The manager was adamant about it, whether inside or outside the auditorium, and everyone respected that. Really not worth trying, but at least there are some nice photos of RF in the programme to make up for it.

The programmes cost 4euros. There are no flyers on Faith Healer, only a general flyer about upcoming productions to the Gate Theatre. The play of Faith Healer was on sale for 12euros but it’s a plain cover, nothing to do with this production and can be bought cheaper on Amazon.

Finally, if you want to make a fortune, you could sell your ticket 20 times over. I’ve never seen such long queues for returns…but personally I’d go for the play. It’ll stay with you longer than the money will!!

D xx
"Careful on the jacket...it's Armani!"

02/09/06 Alkioni- First Dibs on Ralph in Dublin

Ok. Ladies, I am so sorry that it took me a day to write to you about my encounter with Ralph, but yesterday was a magical day for me and i could not think of anything else... The previous days i was just touring arround and i did not wish to spend too much time at the internet cafe, because Nickos would not have been at all happy about it. Anyway, let me tell you what happened.

Yesterday, i went at the theatre around 7.45. As soon as i entered there, I saw a door ( inside the main entrance ) labeled Stage Door> . So then i was certain that he would come out from the main entrance. Anyway, the other usefull thing i noticed was that there were two bars inside the theatre. One coffee bar and one wine bar (which is the most interesting part of the theatre actually since it was where i met him!!!
Anyway, i got the program of the play which was for free. I do not know if that was because it was the first night of the play or not. The also sell the book of FH. I did not see any other things such as posters postcards e.t.c. but maybe it is too soon yet.

The play started at 8.10. Since i do not wish to spoil it for those who have not read the play i will try not to talk too much about the plot.
I adored the play! When i first read it i must admit i was a little bit confused but of course theatrical plays are made to be preformed and not to be read. The performance was absolutely brilliant! Even though i must admit that i had a slight problem with Ian McDiarmid's accent (which was meant to be that way) I loved every minute of it.

And now of course the play starts with Ralph. What to say about his talent??? No matter what i will say it will be too little!!!! He was absolutely perfect. There were times that we were laughing and times that i was really ready to cry. At the first act he also sings a little bit. He has a lovely voice! Of course i have not seen any other plays of his but from what i have read here in the forum, you all wanted to see him in a comedy. Of course the play is a drama,but Ralph can make you laugh in certain parts of the play and he is doing it wonderfully.

Ingrid Craige was really very good but Ian Mc Diarmid was trully amazing. I really loved his performance and he was perfect for the role! After the play , a few people gathered at the wine bar. I was waiting there shaking when, guess what Nickos saw him first (So i do not really know where he appeared from). Anyway, a lot of people approached him, mostly ladies of course to talk to him, congratulate him, take autographs e.t.c.
I felt too shy to talk to him at first, but Nickos went to him, so of course i followed. I told him how much i enjoyed the play, his performance and I thanked him about introducing Brian Friel to me. Nickos asked him a few questions regarding the way he was seeing the play (those of you who have read it can probably undestand why). Then of course, i asked him for an autograph and he was more than happy to give me one. I just could not take my eyes from his eyes and he kept smiling. I really do not know how to express how i feel. I do not think i will ever forget that day. He has a very soft voice!!! And what to say about his eyes!!! I really need to calm down a little bit and try to remember more details. He was wearing a white shirt with a white t-shirt i gather underneath and light brown trousers. He seemed very7 happy about the way peple reacted to the play.

And now let me tell about today. In the morning i was in the cloud 9 and i could not concetrate to anything. Nickos and I went to see the Castle of Dublin and afterwards we went to have another Irish Stew at the restaurant of the Parliament Hotel... And guess who was going out of the door... Ralph of course. I could not believe my eyes and i was in a shock. He was with a young guy and they were talking . He was absorbed in conversation so i did not do anything, i just froze. He was wearing a blue -grey short coat. That was the only thing i managed to notice

I feel that i am in a dream. I will try to write more as soon as i can. I have to calm down a little bit first..

Alkioni

con'td...

Sorry i couldnt write before but as i a;ready told you i am still in Dublin and the access at the internet isnt so easy. I will write every tiny detail when i will be at home.

The play is running for 2 hours and a half including an interval of 15 minutes approxiamtely. If you are smokers you can go in the interval outside of the theatre for a cigarette , you will have plenty time to smoke Ingrid Craige smokes a lot during her performance so if you are a smoker you want to smoke also.

Ralph went at the bar immediately after the play but he stayed with all of us around an hour. Maybe because it was his first night. Yesterday night i went to take photos ( i havent managed as nobody was photographing and i felt embarrased ) and he went out hapf an hour after the play approxiametly.

The audience was enthousiastic about the play and it was full. One gentleman near me kept replying in the rhetoric questions of teh actors with loud voice and i guess that Ralph was been a little bit annoyed with him. It was very annoying indeed. People were laughing a lot especially with Ian Mc Diarmids character but also with Ralphs funny lines.

Yes, it was y first play with Ralph and i really feel that i live a dream. He was in a very good mode and he signed autographs for all people who asked him. And he was answering and talking to everybody.

I found Jasmines idea very good. When i will return back i will write a special thread only about the play so everyone who wish to know more they can read it.

Bye for now. I will write more from Greece as i am leaving tonight.

Have an encounter/review you would like to share?

Email Mary or Stella at Fiennesfriends@yahoo.com and we'll post your story up here! Thanks for sharing :-)

Back to Top

Ralph Fiennes, Cherry Jones, and Ian McDiarmid star in Brian Friel's play Faith Healer, directed by Jonathan Kent.

Learn more by visiting these links:
Faith Healer Fan Stories | Play Info | Reviews | Photos | Travel Tips | Fan Schedule | Fiennes Forum.com