04/26/03 Stella's First (of many;-) encounters)
ENCOUNTER REPORT.
I went over to Stratford today for a day out, to meet friends & of course to hang out a bit at the stage door. Luckily I only had to wait 5 mins or so for RF to appear. Hesitantly he came out of the stage door, there were about 15-20 people around. Rf saw some people (who seemed to be fans) and made a beeline for them. I seized my chance intercepting him en route to get the autograph. I'm getting good now I actually managed to mumble "can you put to Stella?", without my mouth turning to sand - only took 4 years!!! My pal was in charge of the 'real camera' whilst I had 'The Phone' I had studied the book all morning specially. I positioned myself at the back of the 'fans' he was talking to, I had a clear shot but the camera needs a second or two to focus, he looked up, almost quizically I think wondering what it was, then he gave this big grin, I clicked the phone. WOW what a picture, if I say so myself I was impressed. It certainly made my day. RF looked very relaxed, he signed lots of autographs, posed for pictures, even let one older lady kiss him on the cheek. When everyone had their 'trophy' he walked off. Gigi H. later spotted him carrying M&S foodhall bags walking back towards the theatre. Sugarpaste, it was lovely to meet you. Finally as I went to enter the railway station, guess who I bumped into???............ but MARA,who's popped over for a few days.What I day.
04/26/03 Sugar Paste's First (of many) Encounters
ok here goes,important bits first,review later.
friday evening: I had the best seats possible front row centre,Ralph spent most of the time at the front of the stage(for anyone who has not been to the swan theatre,it is knee height and you are sat right up against it)....I could do nothing but look into those beautiful eyes,yes his hair has grown about twice the length it was in TC(if not longer)and spiky on top.In the second half of the play a chair was placed at the very front of the stage and guess what..Ralph sat there for ages talking he was just inches away from me...WOW and yes its true Ralph does spit whilst talking,cos it landing right on my sisters lip...If you have seats to the left of the stage on the front corner you will at one point in the play have ralph virtually thrown in your face?.His eyes just caught the lights all the time I could hardly concentrate for looking at him.I couldnt believe how close he was all the way through the play.Stage door friday: lots of people waited around,it wasnt long before Ralph appeared,everyone started crowding him and it was difficult to get any pictures,there were a group of youngsters who had his attention for ages and he was thanking them for coming including someone from Russia,he patted them on the arm as though he was proud of them,I eventually asked him to sign the programme to myself and told him his performance was fantastic,to which he replied thankyou,he was very pleasant and relaxed he then proceeded to walk off on his own down the road.Oh how I need the confidence to chat with him for longer!.
Sat matinee: had standing only tkts right up in gallery 2,couldnt see very well,but still enjoyable,at the end of the play while the cast were bowing someone took a photograph,others then followed suit so i did too,just as the security man walked past!!,the thing is the first pic was taken by an old lady sat on the front row,she waited for ralph to lift his head up from bowing and blatantly flashed the camera in his face! apparantly he was not amused!.
Stage door saturday: it wasnt long before Ralph emerged again,even more people waiting this time,a group of ladies whom Ralph seemed to know(the one with big hair and pink t-shirt,I mentioned!!)took his attention,I really struggled to get an autograph,I kept forwarding my programme,but he kept walking on,I had to go to the other side of him (this was for someone else)he was just signing them without looking,he then took to kissing this mystery woman and chatting with them for ages,someone asked for there pic with him and he wasnt too happy,I waited around anyway wanting my photo taken with him,then I saw THOSE TROUSERS (I keep laughing about this Stella),and he had new brown shoes and the biggest satchel I have ever seen(what does he keep in that?) eventually my waiting paid off cos my sister asked if it was ok to have my picture taken with him and he was very obliging,( I think its because we waited whilst he had finished talking,before we approached him)I stood very closely for the pic,rubbed arms together(I thought about linking his arm,then changed my mind)and thanked him and looked up and he seemed quite amused almost pitying look at me,the fact I couldnt ask for the photo myself with him,I think he said thankyou with a little laugh,my sister then said he had car keys in his hand?so was about to check this out but then bumped into Stella and Gigi and we went for coffee with them and missed him shopping in M&S! and didnt solve the mystery of wether he has a car.
The play was fantastic,he looked really great,really healthy and not too thin,he is just adorable.I am tired now, will post review tommorow.Sugarpaste's Review
Before seeing the play I had not read any of Ibsens work and didn't know anything about it,other than what I had read on this forum and from other people about Brand,I was a little apprehensive I would find it difficult to understand and it would be largely depressing.
The play begins with dramatic music,there is just a curved wooden pannelled wall at the back of the stage,from which Brand appears with a smoky background and its very dark,my first thoughts were Spider,the way he was hunched over and the hair being slightly messy.most of the first part is brand talking.it was a little difficult at first for me to concentrate,but within ten-fifteen minutes I was drawn in.there was no fancy scenery,just lighting,sound and improvisation by the actors.It was powerful,you could feel the atmosphere,sense the cold and the darkness it was all so imaginable.
Claire price who played Brands wife Agnes was impressive,comparing her with jodhi may in TC and her other work,I did prefer Claire Price,much more relaxed as an actress,very pretty and quite beautiful eyes.She played her her emotions really well.My favourite part with her was act 4,in the Parsonage,With the small lights and giving away of her childs clothes,it was emotional and I felt as though there was just me looking into this scene with no one else around it felt very intimate,Brand proved himself to be harsh in this scene.
There were so many great lines during the play,I cant remember any at this point,unfotunately. I have so may favourite scenes too,one of them being when Brand and Agnes sail across the Fjord,its so real the sound and lights and the improvisation are brilliant,so realistic,waves crashing,wind howling.Another one is when Brand renounces his priesthood,the people following him up the mountain.
Oliver cotton,who plays the mayor was great,he brought the comedy element into the play,he looked the part(I think he would would play a great dracula!).Alan david played the doctor/provost and was good,quite funny too,I do like him as an actor,I remember him in coriolanus and speaking to him after the play,such a genuine guy.I think everyone played there part really well,the only character i didnt like was gerd,the mad girl,I dont really know why?.
All in all the play was great I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think deep down found it had more than TC it was a powerful part for ralph to play,it wasnt depressing,yes sad,but I came away thinking WOW!I certainly want to see it again,although not sure about the man sat on the front row on the right hand side,he slept all the way through the first and second half!!.The end of the play is possibly as close as we shall come to seeing Ralph playing jesus?
Dahut's Encounter
I went to see the play twice and I waited at the stage door on Monday and got an autograph. I did take a photo but I've no idea how it's going to look like because he had just started to walk and I stupidly shouted wait wait don't move while taking the pic.
I found the play great and the audience was really different on the two nights. I found people more "alive" on Wednesday and the actors and Ralph of course came back three times at the end with big smiles the last time.
I've to think more about the play itself, so I'll be back soon.
He did stop for a few seconds, but I had my eye on the camera and talking at the same time that's why I don't know how the pic will look like. It went so fast, but I'm sure he was smiling. He seemed to be in a good mood that day. One other person managed to get her picture taken next to him and he bent his head towards her in a friendly way. And then I asked him for his autograph on two programmes, he did it and looked at me when giving them back to me. I'm not really sure how my english was, I think I betrayed myself.
04/27/03 Gigi H's First Brand Review
Brand is a very sad play and it is left rather ambiguous as to whether there is a God or whether Brand was wrong in his "all or nothing" approach to God.The stage setting is minimalist in style with some ingenious mimes to give the impression of sailing across the fjord or climbing a mountain.
Though Ralph provided a good performance, we didn't feel he was giving it his all that night. It could have been the play, or it could have been that he had already done a matinee performance so was tired (it is a very intense play). I was also wondering if he had just gotten over a cold since his voice seemed a bit lower than usual.
My husband and I saw the play April 26th which was the weekend of Shakespeare's birthday. The next day we decided to go to Trinity Church (where Shakespeare had been a Church warden) and found a big event going on there. Lo and behold there was Ralph! He did a reading from Anthony and Cleopatra. They performed musical pieces from some of the more recent RSC performances and I could see Ralph swaying to the beat. Afterwards, when we all filed out of the church, there was Francesca waiting for him and they went off together with smiles on their faces (sorry Stella).
Gigi 2's First Brand Viewing 04/30/03
just got back to stratford. had a lovely time seeing the play (twice) and bumping into mara at breakfast. we stayed in the same b&b! what a small world.
play is very very good. i do wonder how well it'll work in haymarket. the nature of swan and haymarket is so different. the stage thrusts into the audience... the first night i was literally sitting in their living room, or in the town, etc. i stood tonight. which offers quite a lovely view as well, esp i can move around to catch his face ;) ralph is excellent as usual. i'm not too sure about agnes. she speaks so clearly that i don't feel it's all that natural. sounds too trained, though she can be just a clear speaker. she still bothers me with her head shaking, otherwise, i don't have anything to complain! having ralph on stage speaking for 2.5hrs, who am i to complain?
stagedoor: wednesday night, press night. herds of people went into backstage. i was the only one waiting. he's really relaxed compare to london. tonight, there were a few more people. he's as nice and relaxed as before and he's definitely driving!!! saw him putting his stuff in his car when i walked to the train station.
had a great time.... really want to see the play again, unfortunately, i guess i only get one more chance.....................
i didn't manage to take any pictures... he though very obliging, seems to be in a hurry to get away (or just to get away) and being in the cold on my own for an hour, i wasn't very articulate (extra inarticulate, in fact - seeing him is quite enough to make me say nothing intelligible)
there were quite a lot of people tonight... compare to wednesday and i have to get to the train station, so i didn't do anything!!! he looked good ... and i think he's wearing his blue shirt today....
oh and he was chewing a toothpick the night before. me and toothpicks...........
gigi2
05/09/03 Stella, Sugarpaste, and Gigi H's Day Out
(also known as the day Mary was supposed to go...but Gigi filled her seat instead. This big wahhhh dedicated to the Ladies on the Ledge (those who cannot go))
(Sugar Paste) ok I'm back....for those who are interested it has been observed that Ralph performs Commando! there was no sign of any undergarments whatsoever,no faint lines around the cheeks area!
Also the zip on those trousers must be at least 10" long!and his knees cracked whilst taking up the kneeling position.
Ralph out shopping encounter,every detail has been acounted for in this next story.......what a glorious day,sunshine,theatre,thoughts of seeing Ralph out and about are only dreams......that is until walking towards the shopping centre with Stella,I looked up to see non other than Mr Fiennes standing about 3ft in front of me,there was no double takes I was walking right towards him and he was on his phone,wearing dark sunglasses,wearing those blue trainers again with ghastly grey jogging bottoms,disguised!..uh no fooling me,he was looking at me and i just lost all control,grabbed hold of stellas arm and proceeded to tell her whilst dragging her,that we needed to cross the road(this was to make sure stella spotted him too).I dont know what happened,but he must have walked past us and so we were speechless.we then crossed the road and continued to watch Ralph walking slowly up and down,i did not have my camera on me at this stage(a very bad move) he then suddenly crossed the road to the side we were on,but further down and then we lost him,I did not wish to stalk him,seeing him was enough.
Stage door.....
all very rushed I said Mr Fiennes may i have my photo taken with you,he said yes but you will have to be quick,he then proceeded to lean in close to me whilst having the picture taken,he was very happy and smiled at me at least twice,he must remember me by now surely?(as the one who obviously hasnt got enough photos of herself with him!)