strange and random happenstance: Richard III

Showing posts with label Richard III. Show all posts

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Pink Carnation Spotlight - Dominic West (André Jaouen)

André Jaouen's dream casting has been a thorn in my side now for several years. I just couldn't alight on just the right actor who had the looks, the brains, and the chops to take on this role. Then, after mistakenly thinking I had found my André I started my re-read of The Orchid Affair and Dominic West showed up hijacking my planned casting and doing a fabulous job of it I might add. So here's to an actor that showed up when I least expected it.

Name: Dominic West

"Dream" Character Casting for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: André Jaouen

First Impression: I remember the new adaptation of Richard III was really hot when I was taking Shakespeare in High School (yes, it's been awhile). What everyone was talking about though was a young actor who was stealing the movie, that young actor was Dominic West. He was fine, but overall the adaptation felt flat to me, like it was trying too hard to reinvent the wheel. Dominic's next Shakespearean appearance would be more successful in my mind. It was A Midsummer Night's Dream if you must know.

Why they'd be the perfect actor for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Because my subconscious obviously thinks he's the one. But more then that, he is an actor that excels at whatever he's cast in so there's no doubt he'd be an amazing Jaouen. There's also an elegance to him while still not being upper crust, which wouldn't do for our favorite lawyer cum Royalist. Also, I just can so viscerally see him backstage performing in that absurd Commedia dell'arte costume pulling off his eyebrows to rush to his son's aid, it's not even funny how real it is to me.

Lasting Impression: If, like me, you knew Dominic's work and respected it but are still not wowed by him, check out The Hour. He seriously blew me away with his performance of Hector Madden and how he could be arrogant and vulnerable and sexy all at the same time. The house party where he seduces Romala Garai's character Bel Rowley, just wow. Why did they cancel this show again? Seriously. I want it back.

What else you've seen them in: Seeing as he's been acting since I was in High School, Dominic has amassed a seriously impressive filmography. For the BBC addicts there are the Shakespeare adaptations, the Dickens adaptations, the miniseries The Devil's Whore, the spooky movie The Awakening. For the chick flick fan there's Mona Lisa Smile, Spice World, Burton and Taylor. For the action adventure type, how about 300? There is literally a movie or show or miniseries to fit every mood from musical, Chicago, to drama, The Affair. Though, when in doubt, he's in one of the most highly regarded television series of all time, The Wire! Also, how could I let the chance to have a picture of Chalky White, aka the actor Michael Kenneth Williams, pass on my website?

Can't believe it's them: He was in Star Wars - The Phantom Menace? Seriously, I can't stop laughing. Make it stop, the tears, the pain in my side. Look at that outfit. Hahahahaha.

Wish they hadn't: I'm sure when he signed onto Star Wars - The Phantom Menace it was a good job, not the joke it is today, but still. Could we expunge this from his rather stellar record?

Bio: Oh, posh, Dominic went to Eton before going to Trinity College in Dublin, and then going to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where my choice for his Miss Grey also went, coincidence? I think not! Despite starting on stage at the young age of nine he spent some time in Argentina as a cattle herder! Because, why not. He has rarely been out of work and is always well regarded, but his recent performance opposite Ruth Wilson in The Affair has once again put him in the spotlight garnering many award nominations and laurels. Catch the laurels Dominic! He is also known for turning down a role in Game of Thrones! Of course while he might have been a better Mance Rayder, he is the definitive Noah Solloway.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: Andre Jaouen, Charles Dickens, Dominic West, Dream Casting, Game of Thrones, Lauren Willig, Mance Rayder, Miss Grey, Richard III, Shakespeare, Star Wars, The Affair, The Hour, The Orchid Affair, The Wire

Friday, June 14, 2013

Josephine Tey

Josephine Tey is one of the pseudonym's used by Scottish writer Elizabeth Mackintosh. While caring for her invalid father she took to writing. The name Josephine Tey comes from her mother's first name and her grandmother's surname. There is not much known about Tey, but that has just added to her mystique. Her most famous character is Inspector Alan Grant, whose solving of the murder of the Princes in the tower in The Daughter of Time led to a renewed interest in Richard III. In 1990 this book was chosen as the greatest mystery novel of all time.

Unlike her contemporaries, Tey never resorted to formulas, but "to tell different sorts of story, in different ways." Yet her success did lead to other authors having a fascination with her. Agatha Christie supposedly based her character Muriel Wills in Three Act Tragedy on Tey to skewer her. While, more lovingly, Nicola Upson is currently writing a series of mysteries were Josephine Tey is the detective, much in the vein of J.J. Murphy and Dorothy Parker and Joanna Challis and Daphne Du Maurier. This enduring love of Tey has made "her place in the pantheon of mystery writers... unassailable."

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments

Labels: Agatha Christie, Alan Grant, Daphne Du Maurier, Dorothy Parker, Golden Age of Detection, Golden Summer, J.J. Murphy, Joanna Challis, Josephine Tey, Richard III, Scotland, The Daughter of Time, Three Act Tragedy

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Philippa Gregory Talk

This past Saturday I ventured forth out of my book lined cavern to see the author Philippa Gregory at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove, Illinois. The event was hosted by Anderson's Bookshop and was a very well organized and interesting day. There was a presentation, a question and answer session, book signing and film, also an old guy playing an organ just like they did back in the theatre's Vaudeville days. Philippa Gregory rarely does many signings to promote her books, being one of those rare authors so well known they no longer really need to do publicity tours, so this was a real treat.

The event was very well structured, starting right on time (always a plus) with a little video intro of Philippa strolling through historic houses talking about her books, intercut with her books and how well they've sold. Perhaps a little bite pretentious, but then again, she does have something to boast about with her track record. Her talk was also interspersed with video readings filmed at the annual recreation of the Battle of Bosworth Field. The battle being where the Tudors beat Richard III and became rulers of England and thus helped make Philippa Gregory a lot of money. As she said, it is her belief that they will recreate this every year until Richard III wins. She started off her talk with a little history about her current book, The White Queen, the first in her new Cousins' Series. As she said, it's called the Cousins' Series because even though we view this time period as "The War of the Roses" it is actually a misnomer that has been perpetuated through the generations and originates with Sir Walter Scott. During the time that it was occurring it was referred to as the Cousins War, logically because these were all dueling relatives. The heroine, as it were, is Elizabeth Woodville, the commoner wife of Edward IV, who was the mother of the two princes lost in the tower. Philippa said it is her job to fictionally recreate this scene in not a golden haze of nostalgia but in a realistic manner, as you can imagine, she is not a fan of romantically inclined historical fiction. While Elizabeth and her King might be the impetus for Malory's Camelot, this was not a time of fairy tales but of treason and danger and court politics.

The thing I found most interesting is how she takes her research and with all this history she tells a story. Whether the story is true or not in reality, she has made decisions based on what she sees as the evidence of her research and forms her narrative. It is not possible to have a story with all the possibilities, that is not good storytelling. The example she used and which she believes the facts bear out is that Richard III was not a bad man. The facts are this, Richard was already King when the two princes he "murdered" disappeared, the princes mother entrusted her daughters to him after the princes were gone, and would she have really done this if she suspected him and I think the nail in the coffin, the Tudors were geniuses at self promotion and spin. The only painting we have of Richard III is from the Tudors and is comically exaggerated. The only reports we have of Richard III were written by Shakespeare, the Tudors court appointed playwright who wrote them the best PR possible. All knowledge we have of Richard has been filtered though the Tudors who were trying to justify their position because they never wanted the restoration of the "true line" that is the princes. In fact a far more guilty suspect in the princes disappearances is Henry VI, the victor at The Battle of Bosworth Field, who had far more reasons to want them dead. Philippa in fact believes that Henry didn't fully succeed, because why would Henry have freaked about Perkin Warbeck and his whole uprising surrounding one of the princes if he didn't know definitely that at least one prince survived.

After her prepared presentation she took questions from the audience, which she answered with wit and intelligence, even while getting a question that was not so complimentary. She was asked if she used research assistants, to which she said that 80% of the work and almost all the fun is in the research and is also where the stories emerge from and she's never handing that off to an intern, no matter how capable. Next she was asked if she had a favorite era. She said she is loving the Plantagenets, after being inundated with Tudors she said she's had enough, her and Henry are done, they have their own show after all! Of course her publishers needed to be convinced, to which she said: "They are madder, badder, sexier, more dangerous and people will love them." The next question the lady seemed to be trying to insult her in a very round about manner in how she has changed her writing style, and not for the better. To which Philippa gamely replied: "My fabled charm is about to run out." Which I think was an awesome putdown while still being wonderfully British and polite. She went on to say that she suspected her writing style has changed over time, as people themselves change, but you will never catch her writing florid prose as she hates romantic novels, unless the romance is factually supported, like with Edward and Elizabeth Woodville. She doesn't even read other historical authors because she "doesn't like how anyone does historical fiction but me." I think this is mainly due to her hatred of the romanticizing of the past but she said it is also due to the fact that if she decides to write about that time period she doesn't want to be tainted. Also everyone writes from their time, so those who wrote in the 50s are tainted just as she is by the present.

Asked about her books and any adaptations looming on the horizon, she said that The Queen's Fool is going to be a miniseries, The Boleyn Inheritance is in pre-production (lots of people having expensive lunches) for a big budget adaptation and that The Other Queen is going to be a tv movie. Can I just point out how much in royalties that's going to be!?! Asked who her favorite character was she said Hannah, from The Queen's Fool, to which I totally have to agree, I love that bookish girl who doesn't know how to be who others want her to be. For her final question she was asked about how she was able to characterize Elizabeth Woodville seeing as she has always been viewed by historians as cold and aloof. To which she replied, you mean the male historians and their misogynistic views, who I won't name (David Starky). Men have been the recorders of our history and with British history a lot of it was prudish Victorian men, women not becoming anything to be reckoned with in the field till the 1950s. So everything we have is filtered. That's why the six wives of Henry VIII are such stereotypes, the old maid (infertile Catherine), the educated Protestant (Anne, ignore the fact she was beheaded because she gave us Elizabeth who can be viewed as a man), the perfect wife (Jane, who dies in childbirth leaving a male heir and room for the next wife), the fat German (Anne of Cleaves), the slut (Catherine Howard) and the nurse (Catherine Parr). On this note the talk ended, with a very succinct reason for why she tells the stories of women, because they are not stereotypes.

The signing followed in the lobby, with the movie, The Other Boleyn Girl showing in the theatre to amuse those who were waiting for their books to be signed, and to complement the event. My ticket number was so low (35) that I got called before the credits were done rolling. I was in and out of that line in under a minute. I'd say the signing was terse, not so much a nod or an acknowledgment on her behalf, even when I made a comment about how my name was appropriate to a book staring an Elizabeth, but then again, I was done in a minute, so you have to weigh the positive and the negative. Also I got to have my other book signed without having to wait in line a second time, which was very nice. I have a feeling that before 30 minutes were up Philippa was back on her way to her hotel in Chicago. Also seeing as I wasn't invested in the movie and I could watch the movie anytime I also decided to be on my way. There are so many things to do in Illinois that can only be done in Illinois, and watching The Other Boleyn Girl wasn't one of them.

All in all a fun event and now I have some cool White Queen/Red Queen button swag to add to my Philippa Gregory The Other Boleyn Girl Contest! Which is still going on right now! You have a week left to enter! And perhaps Elizabeth Woodville will now be in with a chance of your nod for favorite British ruler?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 3:08 AM 1 comments

Labels: Anderson's Bookshop, Book Signing, Camelot, Elizabeth Woodville, Malory, Philippa Gregory, Plantagenent, Richard III, Sir Walter Scott, The Other Boleyn, The Tudors, The White Queen, Tivoli Theatre

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Saturday Spotlight!

So today my friend Kristen, over at Bookworming in the 21st Century, is featuring me on her Saturday Spotlight. It is a great honor because she is really an amazing blogger, with over 300 followers, and she's only been at it about as long as me! Since August, every weekend she features two bloggers that are new to the world of book blogging. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to expose even more people to my little blog and hope that you'll stick around if you're a first time visiter! (Of course if you're a regular visiter I appreciate you all the more!) Also the fact that my moment in the spotlight falls right before Blogger Appreciation Week (9/14-9/18) makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Yeah for the blogisphere!

Also in honor of my little bit of fame and the fact that I think you guys want another chance to win something, I'm announcing a new competition. The prize was chosen because I'm actually lucky enough to be going to see Philippa Gregory on the 19th and I thought, well...maybe my blog readers would like a little Tudor loving?

THIS COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

Prize:
A Paperback Edition of The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Question:
Who is your favorite British Monarch? Are you a Henry VIII girl? A Richard III guy? Or maybe you favor a little Queen Victoria with a side of Prince Albert? I'd be interested to hear what you think.

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE (worldwide), and just because you haven't been following me all along doesn't mean you don't matter.
2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s).
3. Contest ends Wednesday, September 30th at 11:59AM CST
4. How to enter: Just post below
5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

+1 for answering the question above
+2 for becoming a follower
+5 if you are already a follower
+10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @MzLizard), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post at each site, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once). Also please leave a link!

If I hit 100 followers, I'll add a little something special!

THIS COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:11 AM 12 comments

Labels: Blogger Appreciation Week, BookWorming in the 21st Century, Contest, Henry VIII, Kristen, Philippa Gregory, Queen Victoria, Richard III, Saturday Spotlight, The Other Boleyn