Bebo celebrates with Kate Modern

I received a nice invite to Bebo's first party tonight. Not only have they become the UK's top social media network but their first online drama KateModern is now the most successful TV show on the web. I'm off to find out what plans are afoot for 2008 and chat about plans for UKTheatre and Making It In Hollywood. In the meantime, if you're wondering what KateModern is all about, here's the story so far.....

http://uktheatre.bebo.com

Next stop Sundance

Flights, check. Hotel, check. Sundance passes, check. Snowmobile, check.

Just in time before the press accreditations are announced. It's a strange system but very fair and I guess it works the way Robert Redford wanted it. The world's press have to make a decision to book up prior to receiving accreditation. Meantime, anyone who had planned in advance, like yours truly, got their timeslot to book online which gives a two month head start to book hotels and flights.

I was fortunate enough to get the last Queen room in the Yarrow Hotel. It's one of the two main hotels at Sundance where the press conferences and screenings are held. It's not cheap as you can imagine, but I can justify it as a holiday, a stress break, a filming opportunity and an adventure.

Colin Farrell and Ralph Fiennes will be there. Their film In Bruge, a Martin McDonagh film, opens up Sundance. An honour indeed and great news for British film. The publicity generated alone will mean that millions of people will have heard of their film before it even hits the local marketing. The cost saving to a film production's budget must be in the millions.

Sundance here we come !

UKGigs - Amy Winehouse stuns audiences

Keeping her audience waiting for an hour is becoming commonplace for the diminutive soul singer and at Hammersmith Apollo in London, there was little surprise. What was surprising was that there was no apology from the organisers or the singer herself. The audience were getting restless and started booing each time an unrelated song was played on the PA system. It's a good way to lose your audience's interest.

Miss Winehouse's reputation precedes her and I had read some of the articles with a degree of mistrust. Surely the press were wrong ? None other than Andrew Lloyd Webber had come to her defense on TV by saying she was one of the top UK talents of our times, so perhaps the press are being unfair ?

Well, I think her reputation appears to be close to the reality. A great voice but wasted in a woman who was irritable, distracted, emotionless and barely able to stand at times. She strolled on stage after her backing singer had announced her, and walked straight to the microphone, fixed her bee-hive hair, fiddled with her boobs, the strap on her shoulder and pulled down at the bottom of each side of the tiny bit of cloth she was wearing. She left her hands to attention, moved towards the mike and let escape some magnificent sounds. Where did that come from ? She barely looked able to string two words together, far less generate such a rich sound.

She continued with each song from her repertoire in much the same way and while the audience were watching and listening intently, there was no emotional connection. I looked around at the audience several times and found them mesmerised. If you had waved a hand in front of their face they would've continued their gaze towards the stage. I was much the same. I wanted to know how it was being done. Looking for the strings which held her together.

She wandered off stage at the end of every other song leaving her band to get on with introducing themselves, or starting the next number. Her lead backing singer kept the others informed and helped to avoid any confusion. They seemed to take it all in their stride and professionally delivered some great music.

Her quirky dance moves were delivered perfectly in time with her backing singers when the moment came. Much to my surprise. She also didn't seem to be miming but there was little or no effort in the giant sounds she was making. Watching closely, I determined that there was no way she was playing her guitar. No sound emanated from the simple plucking she was doing and I think there was some clever sound engineering going on. Much like the click-track used in some theatre performances to underpin vocals. It was especially noticeable when she sang her signature tune in the encore, by which time she had lost it totally.

Having said all that, the style of her movements and sound she was creating reminded me of early Diana Ross, you know, the black and white TV footage you've seen where she moves awkwardly and in a shy retiring way which was both sweet and amusing. Was this part of the creation or was it simply a reality due to late night partying ? Such is the enigma that is Amy Winehouse.

I do hope her family and new tour management help her make the right choices to come out of this dangerous phase she is in. She could really make a significant difference to the UK music industry, if she was more aware of being part of it. Instead of saying "No, No, NO !", as the song goes, I think she should really go to the place "they" are trying to make her go to.

Amy Winehouse should be continuing her tour in Brighton, Bournemouth, Brixton, Cardiff, Manchester and Dublin.

Now live on SkyNews.Com

It's a picture of the Ninentdo Wii. So what's this got to do with theatre and film, I hear you ask ?

Well, it was just one of the six stories I was given one hour to read and digest and comment on as part of last night's Sky.com News programme. They take some of the rising stories on the internet in terms of hit counts, and get someone in the world of the internet to comment on them.

I was called yesterday afternoon and the conversation went something like "Mr McFarlane, we liked your interview on Sky last week and wondered whether you would be interested in doing a regular monthly slot on one of the evening programmes." Nice I thought. It's a good way to get more audiences clicking on UKTheatre.Net. I agreed. "I also wondered whether you would be available tonight", the researcher added.

This was my second time on live television and the nerves still kick in. They are the same nerves you get before an opening night performance, as you are waiting in the wings getting ready to come on stage while the audience take their seat. I welcome the butterflies as I know they are merely a preparation for the mind to kick into action, and it does.

It's a strange experience being on live TV. The atmosphere in the studio is very relaxed, and everyone smiles and says hello. You head for make-up first and a team of busy women, some in the middle of eating their dinner on the hoof, welcome you like a friend and delicately powder and brush your face before you return to the green room. The producer arrives, "We have six stories for you and here is the running order" he says before he walks out and on to his next activity. I noticed my stories are in perfect reverse order from the notes that I'd taken, so I number mine from the bottom up so that I have reference points.

Here's what I was faced with:-

Babies May Hold Social Judging Skills
Wife Busted After Wii Proves Affair
Plastic Shopping Bags On Their Way Out
Hunger Levels in New York Rising
Swiss Army Knife Sets Record
Jellyfish Wipe Out Salmon In Northern Ireland

The floor manager came to collect me and put a mike on. "There's a lot of cables on the set so just be careful". I was introduced to Martin Stanford (pictured below), who said that he was just going to do a few minutes on the top stories and web videos before coming to my bit. 5 - 4 -3 - 2 ........ we're on air.

I sit waiting for Martin to come to my bit. He's talking live to millions of people, reading from an autocue as well as a monitor in front of him. There's videos he's commenting on as well as images of the top stories and then it's "over to Douglas McFarlane of UKTheatre.Net"

I'm relaxed by this stage. I've sat up straight in my seat, shaken loose, made sure my face doesn't look as nervous as my inner thoughts, and start a casual conversation about six topics which I knew nothing about an hour ago. I opened up well with the baby story and quipped "it brings a new meaning to throwing your toys out of the pram". Martin smiled and we moved on through all the stories, with quips like "I think you'll need another golf bag to carry the knife" and "an entreprenurial Scottish salmon fisherman may call and help out with the Irishman's customers".

It was over in a few minutes and I waited until I got my cue to go off set. I shook Martin's hand and the floor manager said it was great, she took my mike off and I headed for my chauffeur driven car back to normality.

It was great fun and I look forward to the next one.

UKFilm.TV - Shrooms: Get Ready To Get Wasted

Think Blair Witch on acid. A psychedelic, psilocybin-soaked, mushroom-munching slasher movie.

A group of American teens come to Ireland to visit an Irish school friend who takes them on a camping trip in search of the local, fabled magic mushrooms. When the hallucinations start taking hold, the panicked friends are attacked by ghostly creatures; never able to determine if they are experiencing gruesome reality or startling delirium. When one teenager unknowingly eats the dangerous Death's Head mushroom, the group's nightmare takes a deeply sinister turn...

--UK Release Date: 23rd of November 2007--

UKTheatre.TV - TAKE THAT feature

Hiya

I've just uploaded a 5 minute video on the musical Never Forget which features the music of Take That. All the songs are here from "Want You Back For Good" to "Could It Be Magic" and you can now watch it on DVD. It's one of the best of the new breed of musicals with a dramatic storyline and some good comedy moments. Feel free to pass the word around if you know any fans of the band. The DVD would make an ideal Xmas gift for musical theatre lovers everywhere.

Douglas McFarlane
Director, www.uktheatre.tv


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Here's a link to the DVD:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Never-Forget-Musical-based-music/dp/B000X45RB0/?affiliate=Z124&ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1195429055&sr=1-1

Brushing shoulders with Branagh, Caine and Law

I was becoming rather disappointed this week with my choice of films. It was supposed to be an indulgence in great film so that I could do some reviews to camera and then publish them online. Normally it's a tough call which films will be winning a BAFTA as most of them step up to the mark, making the voting process difficult. Well, this week it was clear who was out and who was in. In my humble opinion, and only one BAFTA vote out of 5,000.

Grace Is God
Great acting from John Cusack and some talented young performers but the movie is about grief, which is brave to take on, but not one to win audiences.

I'm Not There
A film about Bob Dylan, played by Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger and Richard Gere. Yes, you read correctly. It's a confusing screenplay and requires a lot of suspension of disbelief. Until I knew it was Cate, I did think it was a great performance, but then as soon I knew, like most audiences will, it made it even more difficult to watch. Great music though and I think I'll buy the soundtrack.

Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium
Dustin Hoffman puts gel in his hair to play the "wacky" Mr Magorium who runs a toy shop with Julie Andrews as shop assistant. I mean, Natalie Portman but she looks exactly like Julie Andrews with her short bloke-like hair. It's one for parents to take their kids this Christmas but don't expect too much as it doesn't quite get there.

Sleuth
Now you're talking. A Pinter play, directed by Kenneth Branagh, played by Sir Michael Caine in the role he originally played opposite Sir Laurence Olivier. This time Jude Law plays his character, while he plays Larry's role. With me so far ? Remember these two also played Alfie and in one scene Law says to Caine, "What's it all about ?". The first 15 minutes of this film was worthy of major awards but then instead of 10 out of 10, it slips a few points due to another requirement of audiences to suspend disbelief. I won't spoil it for you but it is a serious contender for awards. The acting is incredible and complimented by the direction and design. I was lucky enough to be at the Q&A afterwards and was brushing shoulders, literally, with all three of them. Kenny, Mikey and Judey ;-)

I'll write up a review and do a piece to camera over the next week.

Douglas

Live From Sky News

This morning was my first appearance on live television. A chauffeur driven Mercedes picked me up at 5.15am before the world was awake and took me to the studios. A bit of makeup, a relaxing coffee in the green room and then on. Live. In front of millions having a quiet conversation with Mark Longhurst. It was over before most people had had their breakfast and then back in the car to London.

An interview with Gary Wilmot

I'm just off the phone with Gary Wilmot, seasoned actor in theatre and TV, and star of Half-A-Sixpence which is reaching the end of its UK tour this month.

Is theatre your passion?

It hasn’t always been my passion but it has been since Me and My Girl. I just loved it and wanted to do more.

Are you enjoying Half-A-Sixpence ?

Yeah, it’s great. It’s a brand new show and the script has been re-written, with permission, and it’s a lot of fun to do.

How do you cope with the gruelling schedule and repetitive performances?

Well, it’s not always the case but in Half-A-Sixpence it has been that way. I get two days off but as we are travelling a lot with the tour it can be hard work.

How do you keep your performance sharp?

That’s the art. That’s what all actors should be striving for. I tend to ensure I get lots of sleep and drink lots of water. You have to treat yourself like a Formula 1 race car which needs careful handling.

Does all your work come from your agent?

Work comes from everywhere. It could be someone in the audience who likes your show and they want you to be in something, or a chance meeting in a restaurant. My agent is always very busy on my behalf and doesn’t just go for quantity, it’s always best to focus on the quality of work.

Any TV or Film work in the pipeline?

Yeah, I’ve got two scripts in consideration at the moment. One of which I’ve co-written, so I won’t be acting in that one. I’m not interested in being in the middle of a jungle or sitting in a house with strangers for months and that seems to be what is being produced most often at the moment.

Is there a chance of Showstoppers returning ?

Showstoppers was a great show and I’d love to do it again. Sadly there is too much focus on low cost productions with audiences calling a number. I’m not bitter, it’s just the reality of today’s broadcasting.

What’s the best advice to someone making it in show business ?

• Don’t get a mortgage
It ties you down to one place and when you’re not working you worry more about paying the mortgage than developing as an actor.
• Work where you can
Do anything, for anyone in any place. It’ll soon settle down and you’ll get into your niche.
• Avoid disappointment
You either get a part because it’s right for you or you don’t because it’s wrong. It’s not because you’re not good enough, so avoid being disappointed.


Gary Wilmot is playing the lead role of Arthur Kipps in Half-A-Sixpence which is showing in the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford until 10th November (box office: 01274 432 000) and then at Stoke on Trent until the 17th November (box office: 01782 213 800)

The Queen visits James Bond studios

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The Queen visits Pinewood

Mission accomplished.

I had the pleasure of being invited to the Queen's visit to Pinewood studios today. I was on a strict embargo of information and received an operational note from Buckingham Palace yesterday to provide the itinerary.

Pinewood is where some of the best UK films are made including Casino Royale, Bourne Ultimatum, Atonement, Stardust and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were shown around by Pinewood Chairman Michael Grade. Some stunts were setup using some of the stages and props at their disposal. Helicopters, boats, wind machines, a water tank and a troop of soldier abseiling down a gigantic blue screen. I managed to capture some of the excitement of the day no my Sony HDV so I will do some edits and upload soon.

Douglas

You Can't Take It With You

Money that is. It seems to be a subconscious theme of my chosen entertainment recently. Into The Woods was about escaping the norms of society and a similar thread runs through this Pulitzer prize American comedy.

Southwark Playhouse is the venue, under the arches of London Bridge train station, and 17 talented actors took to the stage in full 1930s costume to bring this classic to life.

The production team are to be commended for the bravery of dusting off a play not seen in a major production for 20 years. Their casting is also superb and each actor brings something fresh to each character. The comical ballet dancer had performed with the Royal Ballet, the Russian is an actor from Ukraine and the elderly father who was not only grey and balding, but fit enough to be thrown over the Russians back in an hilarious scene.

There were numerous moments where it was clear why the play was awarded the Pulitzer. Most of the comedy still works today. Among them was the drunk actress who says that she doesn't drink alcohol when on stage. She waits for the interval to do that. Or the girlfriend who liked the back of her boyfriends head when they first met, and got used to his face afterwards. The comedy timing and delivery was seamless and effortless.

I was pleasantly surprised with the play, the venue, the direction, the costumes, the set, and a talented cast. They fully deserved the 3 curtain calls.

www.charmoffensive.co.uk

BAFTA Birthday line up

Michael Parkinson (left) and Joanna Lumley were the hosts at a variety gala to celebrate Bafta's 60th Birthday. They were joined on stage by a wide range of performers from both the small and silver screens, many of them previous Bafta winners.

Legendary comedian Stanley Baxter and Full Monty and Trainspotting star Robert Carlyle represented the Scots.

Hollywood star Halle Berry took to the stage looking fantastic and legendary diva Celine Dion sounded great singing her infamous Titanic theme. Operatic star Andrea Bocelli sang Maria from West Side story and stunned the audience with his incredible vocal talents.

The boys from Billy Elliot The Musical were excellent and, as ever, the older boys were upstaged by the smallest kid who somersaulted across the stage before stopping, smiling and stretching his hands out like a true professional.

The Kumars interview of Ben Kingsley was dull to watch, but may be edited better for TV and other mildly amusing moments included a revival of a Morecambe and Wise sketch and a Miss Piggy sketch with Sharon Osbourne. Victoria Wood started to raise the laughter levels, though introducing her as "the best comedy talent in Britain", may have been setting her up for a fall.

Finally, no British TV award programme could go without a lineup of soap stars. Some of the cast from Coronation Street were on stage and, for those that remember, Upstairs Downstairs, shared some of the "good old days" with the audience.

Make sure you catch Happy Birthday Bafta on ITV1, Wednesday 7th November at 9pm.

Happy birthday Bafta

The fantastic looking set for the televised Bafta 60th birthday party. It will be on your screens in November.

Michael Parkinson and Joanna Lumley host the show and I just passed Sir Richard Attenborough.

Sean Penn's journey Into The Wild

Hi there

I'm just back from a BAFTA screening of INTO THE WILD with the screenwriter and director Sean Penn in attendance along with the star of the film, Emile Hirsch. The film comes out on November 9th and you must go and see it. It's based on a true story and it's best if you don't read any reviews, nor read the book. Just get yourself along and enjoy the journey. You'll laugh, cry and be entertained, and will look at the world in a new way.

In the Q&A at the end Sean Penn told the BAFTA audience that after reading the book he instantly wanted to make the film, but had to wait 10 years for permission. When he finally got the permission and without reading the book again, he picked up a typewriter and started the first 10 pages. He says he's a 10 page guy. If a script doesn't grip him in 10 pages, it goes in the bin so he wanted to make sure his own first 10 pages were the best. A lot of good scripts might not get the greenlight this way, he says, but at least he won't have wasted a lot of his life reading poor scripts.

After writing the first 10 pages himself, he then got an assistant to write, while he dictated what was going on in his mind. He describes the process as pacing up and down and smoking cigarettes for 28 days straight and the first draft was available. He showed the draft to Paramount Vantage producers and they gave comments back like "hate that bit". Sean laughed as he said they offered no suggestions or alternatives, just "hate that bit".

He thought he was going to have a hard sell as his movies had all lost money and here he was with double the budget, an unknown actor and an ending that wasn't normal for Hollywood. The producers fortunately had also read the book and it had the same impact on them, so within 24 hours, they said YES.

For me, the acting was incredible, not just from the very talented and hard-working Emile Hirsch, but from every character he meets in his travels. You'll see what I mean when you see it. Soon.

In the meantime, here's the website which will get you into the mood with some great music and images.

http://www.intothewild.com

I think Sean Penn could well pick up a screenplay award for this one. He's got my BAFTA vote so far this year.

It's screening time over the next two months, so I'll bring you more snippets from other MUST SEE movies.

Doug

Cruise missiles into London

Tom's in town with Robert Redford. Lions for Lambs has a Bafta screening tonight and has the infamous duo in a question and answer session.

These sessions normally coincide with a premiere in Leicester Square so keep an eye on the webcam at Whats On - London West End at www.Uktheatre.net

Every little thing they did was magic

Wembley Arena is the last night of the European tour for The Police and it was magic.

Walking On The Moon, Roxanne, Dont Stand So Close To Me and many other classics were on the playlist tonight. The light show added the sparkle but there was no need as these veteran rockers have still got what it takes to delight an audience who we-ay-ood and sue-lawley'd along as if they were back in the 80s. Great night.

Its all gone foggy

The Film London debrief has just finished. The fog has lifted. We now know the reasons behind not getting the green light.

Two key reasons were that the core thread of the story was confusing and it was felt that it needed a bigger budget.
So with the fog lifting, its over to Dishad to do some re-writes to bring cohesion to the script and to consider a reduction in characters and locations to reduce the cost.

Will it get off the ground next year ? Time will tell but in the meantime I've got Making It In Hollywood to complete and the prominent politician documentary to be getting on with.

Show business. There is no business like it. Hope you're enjoying the journey.

Back to the drawing board

Right. Flat move over. I can hardly believe that's a year in London. And what a year!

Partnering with Bebo. Going to the Oscars and filming Clint Eastwood and Kate Winslet. Then off to Cannes and capturing Jude, Jake and Jessica. Then down to the last stages with BBC and Film London.

Where to next ? Well I have just received agreement from a prominent politician to do a documentary about his world. Sundance and Hollywood planning has started for January and February for Making It In Hollywood. No plans for Little India yet until the debrief this week. If some top filmmakers think its not possible to make for 100k, then making it for less than that may not be a wise move.

No broadband for a week, so apologies if I have not replied to your email. Click on 'Whats on' at the top of this page to read about the best in stage and screen where you are.


Douglas

Neon Bird at Royal Albert

Instant picture direct from the Royal Albert Hall where Darren Hayes is performing his last show of the UK tour. I was lucky enough to be in a box with free wine and beer.

The crowd loved every minute and were on their feet cheering a great entertainer. Robbie Williams' tour manager sat next to me taking notes. This is a refreshing production which has a concept, a story and a performance.


Darren is off to Australia on Tuesday for 3 weeks, then off to promote his album in the US over Xmas.