41 replies to this topic

[ukmusic]

What's in the pipeline for Emma Williams? She was excellent in A Model Girl and deserves a West End major role in my opinion.

[Marius]

What's in the pipeline for Emma Williams? She was excellent in A Model Girl and deserves a West End major role in my opinion.

I agree, she deserves a major role. I think she would make a great Glinda personally!

[theatrefan]

Emma has a My Space page, so keep a check there as to what she is doing. She posts a blog fairly regularly. I agree she deserves a really good West End role, and she is auditioning at the moment. Looks too young for Glinda, or so they said!

[Matthew Winn]

What's in the pipeline for Emma Williams? She was excellent in A Model Girl and deserves a West End major role in my opinion.

I disagree. She's too good for the West End.

It's no coincidence that although the West End accounts for three quarters of the theatregoing I've done it also accounts for only a quarter of the best musical productions I've seen. The West End is aimed at people who almost never go to the theatre. Regional and fringe theatres, however, need to keep their audiences coming back, so their shows tend to be more about high production standards than stunning spectacle. It's in that environment that talent really gets an opportunity to show itself. It was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang that first brought Miss Williams to the public's attention but it wasn't until I saw her in Promises, Promises in Sheffield that she impressed me, as that was the first time I saw her hold an audience on her own instead of with the help of a West End budget.

[Simba]

I disagree. She's too good for the West End.

It's no coincidence that although the West End accounts for three quarters of the theatregoing I've done it also accounts for only a quarter of the best musical productions I've seen. The West End is aimed at people who almost never go to the theatre. Regional and fringe theatres, however, need to keep their audiences coming back, so their shows tend to be more about high production standards than stunning spectacle. It's in that environment that talent really gets an opportunity to show itself. It was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang that first brought Miss Williams to the public's attention but it wasn't until I saw her in Promises, Promises in Sheffield that she impressed me, as that was the first time I saw her hold an audience on her own instead of with the help of a West End budget.

Well I have to disagree with you,Its not a hobby but a career and the pay in these fringe shows is pathetic,it may be great for the art but that does not pay the bills at the end of the month!
And people do have ambition too!

[operabitch]

I agree, she deserves a major role. I think she would make a great Glinda personally!

I believe she was down to the last few for Glinda this time round. Seems she got pipped at the post by Diane Pilkington.

OB

[Ian]

Not knowing Emma, there is a real risk of ascribing motives and aims completely mistakenly.

However I think Emma has taken care with her career (whether by chance or by design) and has taken the opportunity at a young age to work in as many environments with as many different directors as possible. From fringe (New End) to in-the-round (Royal Exchange) to thrust (Crucible) in a wide range of parts and styles. There is no guarantee, of course, but Emma is more likely to have the ability and stamina to cope in a demanding role in a long run than say Connie (who has the training, but not the experience), or even Emma herself when she was in Chitty.

[Matthew Winn]

Well I have to disagree with you,Its not a hobby but a career and the pay in these fringe shows is pathetic,it may be great for the art but that does not pay the bills at the end of the month!
And people do have ambition too!

I was speaking entirely from the position of an audience member. I'm sure Miss Williams would want the better money available in the West End. I, however, have never met her and won't get to benefit from a single penny of that money, so all that matters from my point of view is the quality of the work. And in that respect she's wasted in the West End, playing to tourists who wouldn't know a decent performance if it bit them.

[Sparrow]

I disagree. She's too good for the West End.

It's no coincidence that although the West End accounts for three quarters of the theatregoing I've done it also accounts for only a quarter of the best musical productions I've seen. The West End is aimed at people who almost never go to the theatre. Regional and fringe theatres, however, need to keep their audiences coming back, so their shows tend to be more about high production standards than stunning spectacle. It's in that environment that talent really gets an opportunity to show itself. It was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang that first brought Miss Williams to the public's attention but it wasn't until I saw her in Promises, Promises in Sheffield that she impressed me, as that was the first time I saw her hold an audience on her own instead of with the help of a West End budget.

While I agree with Simba that actors in musical theatre have to aim for the West End, I think Matthew raises valid points.  Dazzling spectacle and gimmicks in shows are too frequently used to masquerade as quality. The sheer cost of those effects, contributes to the reasons why producers are less likely to take a risk on staging original, challenging musical theatre. Regional and fringe productions don't go in for spectacle because they don't have anything like the budget. Sometimes less can be more. This has been the case where Emma is concerned.

The roles Emma has played in regional theatre, have offered her much more scope. On the West End, Truly Scrumptious didn't stretch her, and while she put in a good performance as part of a marvellous cast in Bat Boy, other aspects of the production let it down. Emma isn't in the secure position of wanting to turn down high profile offers and I hope opportunities come her way.

[ukmusic]

While I agree with Simba that actors in musical theatre have to aim for the West End, I think Matthew raises valid points.  Dazzling spectacle and gimmicks in shows are too frequently used to masquerade as quality. The sheer cost of those effects, contributes to the reasons why producers are less likely to take a risk on staging original, challenging musical theatre. Regional and fringe productions don't go in for spectacle because they don't have anything like the budget. Sometimes less can be more. This has been the case where Emma is concerned.

The roles Emma has played in regional theatre, have offered her much more scope. On the West End, Truly Scrumptious didn't stretch her, and while she put in a good performance as part of a marvellous cast in Bat Boy, other aspects of the production let it down. Emma isn't in the secure position of wanting to turn down high profile offers and I hope opportunities come her way.

With respect Matthew, not that I am personally a tourist, I do however feel you should not be making bold statements about tourists views on the quality of a performer or the show they are seeing. Its wrong to assume or generalise.
I am also sure the audiences in the West End is not purely built up of tourists?