#this is also so funny on account of how David Tennant has been on stage continuously for the past 10 years and Michael Sheen has done it

[thealogie]

To be fair Michael Sheen is very big in Wales and Britain more generally. Of the two actors I’d say Michael is popularly understood to be the more ‘talented’ ‘serious actor’ of the two (I’m NOT saying I believe this just my experience of popular British culture)but David is considered to be a more popular name bc of Dr Who (and certainly more popular for people under 40). For middle aged people not that keen on dr who Michaels seems to be the more popular considering his experience as Brian Clough, Kenneth Williams, and Frost all big late 20th c figures

I’ve kind of learned over time that that’s their reputation in the UK but it’s so funny because in the states people would AT BEST know David Tennant and Michael Sheen is like “who?”

[heartinportuairk]

I went to the final performance of Macbeth last night and I wanted to make some notes for myself so I would remember some things. I only use this account for lurking but I am making this public in case anyone scouring the David Tennant / Macbeth tags is interested in my musings for some reason.

I had been lucky enough to have seen this production three times already before last night - twice in December and once in January - so I have been able to track its journey and pick out what changes night on night and what doesn't. I have found that fascinating. Any changes were minor and pretty much exclusively found in simply the way a line was spoken. For example, the brilliant Noof Oussellam (Macduff)'s "but I must also feel it as a man" was impassioned and angry the first and last times, but the two times inbetween I found it to be more subtle. More sadness, more despair than anger. I guess it comes down to how the actor is feeling it in that point in time and I think it shows a great understanding of the character that they play them in the moment and don't just mimic themselves night after night.

The other great thing about going multiple times is viewing it from different angles. I saw it from all sides, twice from the stalls and twice from the front row of the circle. Honestly, circle was better, especially for Macbeth's death in the closing moments. You do not get the effect of the blood seeping out from under him from the stalls and I tell you now, that image from above sears itself onto your brain.

All of the actors are incredible and have been from the start, but there were a few times last night where I could feel them step up their game. Like they knew it was the last time they were going to say that line (at least for a while) so they were going to give it their all.

One of those times was Macbeth's "tomorrow and tomorrow" soliloquy which had always been brilliant and very moving, but about which something was a little different last night. The quiet, raw emotion in that speech felt as though it had been ramped up (or down??) a notch and was so palpable that it brought a tear to my eye.

Another moment came from Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking scene. Again, always brilliant and always moving but somehow desperately sadder this time around. I wanted to give that murderous, conniving fiend a big hug.

The Porter:

The porter scene is funny but obviously not as much when you know what's coming. Which is why when somebody in the audience yelled out "who's there?" right before he got a chance to say his "ok seriously do none of you understand the concept of a knock-knock joke?" line last night, it was both a shame and a blessing. I felt a bit bad for the guy!

"Alright, you've seen the show before! That was my favourite-... and it's the final show!"

But what followed was a hilarious bit of improvisation and it changed things up a bit, especially as Laura the sound engineer proceeded to make his job even harder with the timing of the sound effects that followed. It meant I was able to enjoy the porter scene as much as I did the first time, but like I said, I did feel a bit bad that his favourite line got taken away from him! (It wasn't me who called out, by the way.)

David bloody Tennant:

I've not seen much Shakespeare live (I want to remedy that, I have become completely obsessed), but I can believe people when they say David Tennant is arguably the greatest Shakespearean actor of his time. You can tell he feels and understands completely the meaning behind the words he is saying. He's not just reciting, not just reeling it off. The pauses, the intonations, the passion, sadness, grief, guilt behind every line just shows his deep understanding of the character and his innermost thoughts. On that stage, he is Macbeth.

What's more is you can tell he absolutely delights in it. Anybody who knows anything about DT knows he loves Shakespeare and it is glaringly evident when he is out on stage. He puts everything he has into it and it is wonderful to witness.

He is truly an amazing actor and a treasure and I have been so delighted to watch his career somehow continue to hit new highs of late. Everything he touches seems to turn to gold. As many have said before me, this really is David Tennant's world and the rest of us are just living in it.

The bows:

The reception this group of actors received at the end of the performance was phenomenal and no more than they deserved. Everybody on their feet, whooping, cheering. A lot of noise coming from such a small audience. The cast were both playful and tearful. To see some of the actors get a bit emotional was very touching and I hope that was, at least in part, due to the love and admiration pouring out of us and on to that stage.

[norwegianpornfaerie]

I was tagged by the delightful @arcanemoody!

Pick 10 ships without reading the questions.

Thorki

Hiddlesworth

Rimmer/Lister

Stony

Stucky

Venom

Peter/Ned

Jeeves/Wooster

Ineffable Husbands

Tennant/Sheen (Staged-version)

1. Do you remember the episode/scene/chapter that you first started shipping 6?

Hah, probably the trailer!! No, that was an instant thing. They just have such great chemistry, and every single frame of that movie confirms it. The banter, the jealousy, the compatibility, the way they care for one another... 2. Have you ever read a FanFiction about 2?

Yes, but not many. I’m VERY picky about the fanfic I read, particularly RPF fanfic. It’s not so much that there’s bad stuff out there (though there is, and you have to search to find stuff you really like), but people also have very different takes on RPF characterization, and again, I’m picky. :p 3. Has a picture of 4 ever been your screen saver/profile picture/tumblr? No, not those two. But they were part of a password of mine once, if that counts! 4. If 7 were to suddenly break-up today, what would your reaction be?

Aw man... I mean, they’re not canon, but if they were to break up in an universe, I would be heartbroken. They’re one of my comfort pairings, and so, so sweet. I’d like to see them together forever.

5. Why is 1 so important? So many reasons. I got into Thorki after Ragnarok, which is a movie that I share a love of with @roadsterguysblog. Seeing that film was such a boost to my creativity, and made me start writing more again. And as for the ship itself, the characters are so interesting and sweet (yes, even Loki), and because they’ve known one another their whole lives and lived as family, it’s a unique dynamic. It’s very fun to play around with. I guess they’re also a comfort pairing of sorts, which is odd for something with so much angst potential. But I suppose I love them enough for them to feel very familiar? Something like that. 6. Is 9 a funny ship or a serious ship?

Both! Like most ships, but definitely this one. Good Omens is a comedy, but also serious, in that perfect way both Pratchett and Gaiman has. It’s funny in that their situation is absurd, and their bickering is clever and biting and funny, but it’s serious in that they’re both super intense people, living through very serious times, and surviving serious scenarioes. 7. Out of all of the ships listed, which ship has the most chemistry?

Oh man, that’s a tough one. I’m tempted to say Ineffable Husbands, but Hiddlesworth is UP there. I mean, I ship RPF couples because the chemistry between them is blatant, and quite often more present than for a completely fictional couple. I think it’s a tie, there. 8. Out of all of your ships listed, which ship has the strongest bond? I mean, possibly Ineffable Husbands again? Just by virtue of their roles, and their age! But there are many contenders here - Venom, for one, as they are literally one person. But it’s going to be Ineffable Husbands, I think, though I feel like they’re cheating.   9. How many times have you read/watched 8’s fandom?

Read and watched, for this one! Oh, I honestly don’t know. I watched the Jeeves & Wooster when I was a kid, and there were a lot of reruns. As an adult, I read the novels, and rewatched the show.... so, so many times. I literally have no idea. PLEASE, if you get a chance, read the books. Some are even available for free, due to copyright. They’re amazing, Wodehouse was a genius. 10. Which ship has lasted the longest?

In terms of interpersonal relationship, that’s got to be Ineffable Husbands, again. But in terms of how long have I shipped them - Rimmer/Lister, no question. I don’t think I shipped them when I watched the show while I was a kid, but I think the embers of what became that fire was definitely there. 11. How many times, if ever, has 2 broken up? Well, they’re not canon! :D In as much as an RPF-ship can be canon. So thankfully, never. :) Though they aren’t seen together as often as they used to be, for obvious reasons, as they don’t work together, they seemed to be great friends and I’ve no doubt they still are. 12. If the world was suddenly thrust into a zombie apocalypse, which ship would make it out alive, 2 or 8? If it’s an either/or question, definitely Jeeves and Wooster. Because Jeeves is basically magic, and would just make it happen. But I think Chris would do pretty well too, and Tom is a great runner. 13. Did 5 ever have to hide their relationship for any reason?

They’re not canon, so it’s not applicable. Though if they WERE a couple in the 40s, they would have had to hide it, of course. 14. Is 4 still together?

WE DON’T TALK ABOUT ENDGAME.

15. Is 3 canon?

Very few of these are, so nope! 16. If all 10 ships were put into a couple’s Hunger Games, which couple would win? Again, even though we’re dealing with a literal angel and demon here, Jeeves would win. Because Jeeves. 17. Has anybody ever tried to sabotage 10’s ship?

Staged the show is basically the story of other people and David and Michael themselves all continually trying to sabotage them as a ship. :D (And also encourage it.)

18. Which ship would you defend to the death and beyond? All of them. 19. Do you spend hours a day going through 1’s tumblr page?

There are some accounts on here that basically are that, so yeah! 20. If an evil witch descended from the sky and told you that you had to pick one of the ten ships to break up forever or else she´d break them all forever, which ship would you sink?

Oh man. I can’t imagine any of them, honestly. But maybe Tennant/Sheen, because they’re in a constant state of fluxx anyway, so maybe it wouldn’t hold! :D

Tagging anyone who wants to do it, though obviously I’d love to hear from you, @roadsterguysblog!

[kalluun-patangaroa]

An Audience With… Brett Anderson

UNCUT Magazine

December 2010

Interview: John Lewis

Brett Anderson has some fans in odd places. This month, Uncut’s email boxes are positively heaving with questions from adoring fans in Peru, Serbia, Japan, New Zealand, Belgium, South Africa, Slovenia and Russia. “I’m quite popular in odd places,” he says. “Suede had No 1s in Chile and Finland. We were massive in Denmark. If asked why Denmark, my stock answer was that, well, I’m a depressed sex maniac and so are most Scandinavians. We toured China long before most Western pop groups. I remember playing Beijing, to a crowd divided by armed soldiers facing the audience. That was pretty scary.” Anderson is currently back in the Far East, speaking to Uncut as he overlooks Kowloon Harbour, preparing for solo dates. Later in the year he’ll be in London for a big O2 show with Suede (sans original guitarist Bernard Butler, although the two remain good friends). “I wanted to check out what the stage was like at the O2 Arena,” he says. “So I went to see The Moody Blues with my father-in-law. Come on, you can’t argue with ‘Nights In White Satin’. What a tune!”

I presume you’re aware of the ‘reallybanderson’ Twitter account purporting to be by you. Amused or offended? Helen, Birmingham

Twitter is one of those strange things, like Facebook, that I don’t have anything to do with. But I have to grudgingly admit that the reallybanderson Twitter updates are rather funny [starts giggling]. And the guy doing it is obviously a bit of a Suede fan, because there are some very detailed references to b-sides and bla-di-blah. I can’t exactly complain about it without coming across as a real tit. It’s just fun and no-one really thinks it’s me, it’s a cartoon version of me reflected through some fairground mirror. I don’t think anyone reads it and thinks, ‘Oh, Brett Anderson has Jas Mann from Babylon Zoo doing his washing up, or Brett punched Damon in the street.’ It is, ha ha ha, quite witty. Having shown them the picture inside the Best Of Suede CD, my kids would like to know why you refused to feed me for five years? Also – can my mum have her top back? And are you around for a trip to the Imperial War Museum? Bernard Butler

Yes, what most fans don’t realise is that we kept Bernard in a cage for five years, and fed him edamame beans and tap water. Regarding his mum’s top – he should know that it’s long been ripped up and destroyed by the front row of the Southampton Joiners, or somesuch venue. Now, the Imperial War Museum – me and Bernard were talking about getting older the other day and he said: “Are you finding yourself increasingly interested in British military history?” And I have become oddly fascinated with watching WWI docs on YouTube. It’s not just the personal tragedies, but the sense of it being a shocking transition point between the Victorian world and modernity. The idea that they were going into war on horseback, and by the end of it they were in tanks. Blimey. So tell Bernard I will be going to the museum, soon… What’s your favourite Duffy song? Kris Smith, Wembley

I thought “Rockferry” was a very beautiful, stirring track. So that’s the only one I know well, but I’m really pleased for Bernard that that was a big success [Butler co-wrote and produced much of the album]. He’s an incredibly talented person and works incredibly hard, and he’s one of those people who is just obsessed with music. People like that deserve success. Did I ask him to join the Suede show at the O2? No. I told him about it, but he’s moved on so far from Suede that it would have been odd, and we’ve had a completely different lineup since he left. I don’t think he’d want to be jumping around a stage again! He’s much happier doing what he does now, I think he’s really found his calling. Do you still have your cat, Fluffington? Claire Vanderhoven, Holland

Unfortunately, he’s ascended to cat heaven. He had 15 long years of adoration. Am I getting another cat? Well, I recently got married, and my wife brought two Italian greyhounds with her. I don’t know if anyone is aware of them, but Italian greyhounds are like little cats. Ours are eight years old but look like miniature foxes, bonsai greyhounds. But incredibly fast, like little bullets. When they’re not running they spend their whole life under the duvet. Someone once told me they were bred by the Pharaohs as bedwarmers! Brett, do you have a copy of the single I recorded with Suede: “Art” b/w “Be My God”? If so, could I have one? Mike Joyce

Mike, I think I destroyed my copy years ago. I’m not one to keep memorabilia. They’re about 100 quid on eBay. Mike was an early member of Suede. We were advertising for a drummer and listed The Smiths as an influence. Then at an audition, their drummer pokes his head through the door and says, “Hello, lads!” Ha! It was a bit Jim’ll Fix It. I don’t think anyone thought it was going to last, Mike was far too big a name for us. But he just took us under his wing, guided us through the industry, and was so charming. I still keep in contact with him. What’s the weirdest story you’ve heard about yourself? Badabingbadaboom

Someone once told me that they’d heard a story about me wanting to shit in someone’s mouth. But I also heard the same story about David Byrne, so I think it’s one of those urban myths that gets transferred from one slightly kooky pop star to another. That’s probably the most unsavoury thing I’ve heard about myself. Maybe I should give it a go. Which actors would you like to play the lead members of Suede in a biopic? James Kumar, Manchester

This is the kind of thing we talk about on tour. Matt Osman is convinced I should be played by Peter Egan, who was in Ever Decreasing Circles. I think Nic Cage should play Matt. Arsène Wenger reminds me of Bernard. That’s what Bernard will look like when he’s 60. Billy Idol could play Simon Gilbert, couldn’t he? Would you ever consider working in musical theatre? Neil Tennant

It’s funny he should ask that, because only the other day, I was listening to the album Neil and Chris did with Liza Minnelli in the late ’80s. Results, I think it’s called, with “Losing My Mind”. That sounded great, so emotive, and real. I’m a big fan of the Pet Shop Boys, they’re one of those amazing bands that almost created their own genre. But anyway, musical theatre. Yeah, I think I would. Sondheim? Rodgers and Hart? Definitely. I’m always open to new ideas. Musical theatre sounds like it’s going to have camp undertones, but I’d love to do it in an interesting way. What’s the worst song you’ve ever written? Mark Catley, Christchurch, NZ

That’s a good question. I wrote lots of terrible songs that were never recorded in the early days. But there’s a song called “Duchess” – a B-side to something from the Head Music era [actually to 1997 single “Filmstar”] – which is pretty rubbish. I’ve often regretted the production on certain songs, like “Trash” and “Animal Nitrate”, even though they’ve been pretty good songs. But you can’t go messing around with things like that. You start to interfere with what people originally liked about it. I also think people like your mistakes, as they give your work humanity. I quite like that about Prince. He seems to throw stuff out – some of it genius, some unlistenable – but all quite honest. I respect that. Do you enjoy art? Excited about Gauguin at the Tate? Katarina Janoskova, London

Absolutely. I’m a big fan of Gauguin and the post-impressionists. My favourite visual artist, if I had to narrow it down to one, would be Manet, the pre-impressionist. Not Monet, who doesn’t do it for me. But Manet had this revolutionary technique of painting on black, which gives his pictures a real depth, there’s something very sumptuous about his paintings. And further back, the kind of medieval-style stuff like Holbein and Brueghel – they’re so well observed and so real. You look at these pictures of people who lived 500, 600 years ago, you can imagine them walking down Tottenham Court Road now, the same face, they’re so real. It’s a little window into the past. I’ve quite got into art recently. It’s all part of expanding yourself and your education, appreciation of beauty in life, innit? Now that you’re no longer coming to work in Bow, how are you coping without the salad pitta? Leo Abrahams, musician and producer

Ha ha! I’ve been working on an album with Leo, in his studio, and I have an unhealthy obsession with East London’s kebab shops. You don’t get many good kebab shops in west London. It reminds me of being a student. I’m surprised Leo’s got the time to email you questions! He’s far too busy producing Eno or Grace Jones or Florence & The Machine. He also does these bizarre things where he plays entirely improvised gigs, no rehearsals. And that inspired the latest solo LP I’ve done with him. It was based on improvs. Me, Leo, Seb Rochford on drums, and Leopold Ross on bass just jammed for days, cut up them up and improvised, and did overdubs. It’s a full-on rock record. I love Leo, he’s great. He never takes the easy option. He pushes you a bit, which can be terrifying. Can you give us not-so-slim-in-2010 Suede fans some health tips? Simon Quinton, Oxford

My wife is a naturopath – she’s conscious of what she eats, so we eat a lot of sushi and seeds. I’ve got into cycling recently, particularly living in London, through the parks and the backstreets. It makes you fall back in love with the city. I cycled to Bow the other day from my house in Notting Hill. So that’s staving off the fortysomething belly. I’m sure I’ll get it when I’m fiftysomething. I’m looking forward to that. What do you think of Gorillaz? Ruiz, São Paulo, Brazil

To be honest, I don’t know much about them. I like the drawings. I guess that’s a veiled question about my relationship with Damon? Well, we don’t have a relationship to talk about. We all have things that happened years ago, rivalries and so on, and people assume that they’re still on your radar and part of your life. It’s like some musical soap opera, often one that’s been fabricated, without much substance. I have different issues in my life now. Is the art of songwriting dead? If it isn’t, who is flying the torch? Paloma Faith

Oh, it’s not dead at all. I’m constantly inspired by new music. If you look on YouTube, there’s a clip of me singing Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful”. When you’re covering stuff it’s interesting to try things that are out of your genre, which gives it a frisson. So I always try songs that aren’t, you know, British indie, stuff like Blondie, or The Pretenders. That Christina Aguilera song is amazing. I try not to look at songs as the finished product, I look at it as the chords and the melody and the words, like sheet music to be interpreted. You’ve got to keep moving with your musical appreciation. I loved the last Horrors record, I liked The National, The Drums, These New Puritans, lots of stuff. I never listen to the records I grew up with. Why bother? It’s all in my head! Brett, you’re from Haywards Heath. What’s the deal with the swimming pool there? It’s deep in the middle, not at one end. What’s your take on that? And were you ever caught out by it? P Newman, Brighton

I don’t know what they’re referring to at all, but funnily enough my dad used to work there as a swimming pool attendant. And I don’t really know how he got the job because he couldn’t swim. It’s lucky there weren’t any accidents. Every Tuesday, we had to troop down to the local pool, and everybody would be pointing at my dad saying, “Oh look there’s your dad, he’s working as a pool attendant.” And I was hoping none of them would start drowning, ’cos my dad wouldn’t be much use. Still, this was the early ’80s, and I guess we all thought the world was going to end any second with a nuclear bomb. Ha ha.

[imaginesfordayss]

DCC Day 3!

Another eventful comic con finished! Today was the last day of the con and the energy was definitely slower than  yesterday but we still were running around the majority of the day. I don’t even think we ate lunch today?? Just kept moving. The showroom closes early on Sundays and that means things were selling out and selling out quickly, so any downtime either of us had was spent traversing the show room and spending gross amounts of money. We saw two panels as well and sat in on the educational panels as well so here’s the final recap:

We sat in on both the David Tennant, which was absolutely packed, and the KJ Apa panel. Both were super fun, KJ’s was the last one of the day and the crowd definitely wasn’t as rowdy (also the moderator was very unfunny and kinda annoying) so the energy was definitely low, but KJ made the best of it and was super gracious and informing of his answers and I learned a few more things about him which I didn’t know. Like that he never intended to be an actor and still doesn’t really want to be a major actor, he instead wanted to be an accountant and got into acting by luck of the draw. He’s also a huge spiderman and Tom Holland fan which was super cute to see. And other random facts

Didn’t initially think he would get along with the Riverdale cast very well because he was the only foreigner and didn’t know where he would fit in

Would like for Archie to be single for a while 

Has the most fun filming with Cole

says he’s never met anyone like him and Dylan and could never compare them to any of the other friends he’s had

Was initially a bit nervous shooting his scenes with Sarah Habel (Miss Grundy) because he had never had to shoot scenes like that before

David Tennants panel was amazing and he’s an absolute presence on stage. Super fun and lively and so incredibly humble. Made a lot of jokes about his Presbyterian guilt which I thought was really funny. He was asked a lot questions and they were all from different projects he’s worked on which was really nice because we got to see at least a little bit of his thoughts when it came to all of his roles. He says he doesn’t have a favorite role but the audience agreed that they thought Killgrave was his best work. 

Honestly he seems like an incredibly amazing man. He talked about a lot of relevant topics not just in his shows but in real life. When asked about Killgrave and how he felt about him, he explained that all villains both on screen and in real life are just going through some stuff. Which, he explained, never excuses their actions or should make people sympathize them, but makes it easier to understand their motivations and POV. Which is how he approaches playing villains. 

Asta also got to meet this lovely human and said he was sweet and kind for someone who has as much star power as he does. Also very tall. A real life angel.

I didn’t get any pictures cause cameras are super restricted, but I got to meet and get my Pop signed by Isaac Hempstead Wright, who plays Bran Stark on Game of Thrones. I got to speak with him for a second or two while he was signing and he’s honestly so sweet and so nice and doesn’t seem like fame has affected him in the slightest. He got donuts delivered to his table and was joking around with Kristian Nairn (Hodor) who was at the table next to him. I would love to get a drink with him honestly. Game of Thrones has officially wrapped for the season and I asked him how he felt about the ending and how he thought fans would take it. He personally is really pleased with the ending and said there could be no better ending for a show like this. He said that not everyone will be happy because the writers can’t please everyone, but thinks a lot of people will enjoy it. Starks Rule!

As far as nonsense we bought, we bought got one of the mystery boxes simply because we’ve never gotten one and wanted to see what all the hype was about. I got the marvel, the first picture, and got an avengers blanket, a venom hat, captain american patch and sticker, doctor strange socks, a keychain light, a hawkeye lanyard, and a fantastic four sticker. Personally, I don’t think it was worth it and most likely won’t be buying another one ever again. None of those items seems justifiable for the price I paid and I won’t be using any of them since 1) I don’t like captain america and 2) They’re cheap toys. I do like the blanket though and my brother will enjoy the hat. 

Asta got the Supernatural box and she did enjoy her’s and she got much better items than I did. Not everything in that picture is from the box, the pop below Dean and the Star Wars stuff of course wasn’t in the box. She got the Dean Pop (which already makes her box better than mine), a belt, a wallet, a SPN cigarette tin, and a pillow. She says that if it came with a shirt she’d be happier with it.

Other than that we saw more amazing cosplays including that fantastic Maleficent and spot on Loki and Killmonger. We also found a booth that was selling 5$ Pops which was freaking amazing considering I paid 16$ for my Bran Pop. I got Elliot Alderson from Mr Robot (my son and stars) and Asta got Hux (garbage boi). Also got some artwork for my mom and Asta got some tea for her brother. I also impulsively bought Cards Against Humanity and a new tarot set cause I am truly a garbage person and have no concept of money and my cow brain sees something remotely interesting and wants to blow 60$ on it. 

But yeah! Comic con has been super fun and we learned so much and had an amazing time this year. Each year we always kind of level up in our con prowess and we hope next year we can show out with some cosplay. Y’know, when we financially recover. If anyone else was at DCC let us know how it was for you! We’d love to chat about it/compare experiences! Also if the cosplayers who’s pictures I put in this post happen to see this please let me know who you are so I can tag you! Credit where credit is due!

Thanks!