Monday, November 01, 2004
And the Crowd Went Wild....
The two day limited run of the play Macbird at the Reading University Opera House was met with critical acclaim. Michael Cronin, writing in the Reading Evening Post, was especially thrilled and delighted with the production.
"A first class event by any stretch of the imagination," he wrote. "Many ventured to the event expecting it to, perhaps, lay an egg with it's somewhat unusual casting. If this production laid an egg, then cetainly it hatched something brilliant. Bird in Macbird was the event of the year." He continued, "The young actor from Illinois playing the role of Spot was perfectly cast. Others who have performed this difficult role have seemed to stand there only as statues, but Dog's portrayal was so sensitive and correct it as hard to realize he was an actor. Brilliant!"
This is the first time that a flamingo was cast in the title role, and Cronin was not the only sceptical reviewer who brought his razor sharp pen to the production ready to slice it up. Simon Tillinghast, writing in The Independent, said, "Many thought this produciton might not have a leg to stand on, but it virtually soared. Bright and colorful and wonderful. Bird in the title role should be knighted, and the individual who could do this was at the performance." See photo to the left.
Both performances were SRO and many a person was turned away. Negotiations were conducted to continue the run at Mansfield University, but Bird's busy schedule precluded that happening. London theatres, as well as the Edinburgh Drama Festival, are inquiring about reprising the play.
"A first class event by any stretch of the imagination," he wrote. "Many ventured to the event expecting it to, perhaps, lay an egg with it's somewhat unusual casting. If this production laid an egg, then cetainly it hatched something brilliant. Bird in Macbird was the event of the year." He continued, "The young actor from Illinois playing the role of Spot was perfectly cast. Others who have performed this difficult role have seemed to stand there only as statues, but Dog's portrayal was so sensitive and correct it as hard to realize he was an actor. Brilliant!"
This is the first time that a flamingo was cast in the title role, and Cronin was not the only sceptical reviewer who brought his razor sharp pen to the production ready to slice it up. Simon Tillinghast, writing in The Independent, said, "Many thought this produciton might not have a leg to stand on, but it virtually soared. Bright and colorful and wonderful. Bird in the title role should be knighted, and the individual who could do this was at the performance." See photo to the left.
Both performances were SRO and many a person was turned away. Negotiations were conducted to continue the run at Mansfield University, but Bird's busy schedule precluded that happening. London theatres, as well as the Edinburgh Drama Festival, are inquiring about reprising the play.
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