215 replies to this topic

[armadillo]

Lynette, on 26 February 2013 - 08:32 PM, said:

He'll be good but would have liked Spall to have the nod.

  Has he ever done any stagework? And more to the point, is his brother producing the show?

[xanderl]

Shame we didn't get Freddie

[wickedgrin]

Lucky few to have seen Robert Hardy in what must be his last performance on stage - now 87 I believe.

[Nicholas]

I remember on Desert Island Discs a while back Hardy was saying he was written out of the Harry Potter films because he would cost too much to insure at his age.  How does stage work work with that kind of thing?  Presumably the problem is with film if a problem emerges half way through you have to refilm everything whilst on stage you can just recast as with now, but is there something similar?

I liked someone's suggestion of Freddy for the role.  Maybe instead he should play Cameron, then Emilia can play Thatcher, whilst James can play Macmillan, Lawrence can play Callaghan...

[KevinUK]

Anyone day seated? I'm going to try on Saturday, providing the rain holds off and I don't ignore my alarm. I'm guessing ill have to be up really early what with Helen being a national treasure and what not (plus the small fact that she's reprising a character that last time she played, won her an Oscar...)

[KevinUK]

Nicholas, on 26 February 2013 - 11:43 PM, said:

I remember on Desert Island Discs a while back Hardy was saying he was written out of the Harry Potter films because he would cost too much to insure at his age.  How does stage work work with that kind of thing?  Presumably the problem is with film if a problem emerges half way through you have to refilm everything whilst on stage you can just recast as with now, but is there something similar?

I liked someone's suggestion of Freddy for the role.  Maybe instead he should play Cameron, then Emilia can play Thatcher, whilst James can play Macmillan, Lawrence can play Callaghan...

Too much to insure in Harry Potter? I think it's more to do with the fact his charcter got fired as Minister of Magic between book 5 and 6, surely? It's nothing but a bit part in book 6 anyway. Surely they can't refuse someone insurance (and thus work) though because of age - surely it's illegal?

[Nicholas]

KevinUK, on 26 February 2013 - 11:51 PM, said:

Too much to insure in Harry Potter? I think it's more to do with the fact his charcter got fired as Minister of Magic between book 5 and 6, surely? It's nothing but a bit part in book 6 anyway. Surely they can't refuse someone insurance (and thus work) though because of age - surely it's illegal?

Listening again to see...

KY: You were written out earlier from the films than the character was in the books, why was that?
RH: Well, it's insurance that kicks old actors like me out of the game because, um, I mean I was insured for over a million at some point over the last film or the one before and they would have wanted to put it up, the insurers, so Warner Brothers, who were short of cash of course, said very sadly, I mean there was a day when three producers got onto a party telephone and rang me up and said "We don't know how we're going to say this" but I'd already sussed it out and said "No, I know, I know"

It's on the DID archive, about 7 or 8 minutes in.  It might be illegal, but I don't suppose you can sue Warner Brothers.  I assume the stage is more lenient?

[KevinUK]

Nicholas, on 27 February 2013 - 12:06 AM, said:

Listening again to see...

KY: You were written out earlier from the films than the character was in the books, why was that?
RH: Well, it's insurance that kicks old actors like me out of the game because, um, I mean I was insured for over a million at some point over the last film or the one before and they would have wanted to put it up, the insurers, so Warner Brothers, who were short of cash of course, said very sadly, I mean there was a day when three producers got onto a party telephone and rang me up and said "We don't know how we're going to say this" but I'd already sussed it out and said "No, I know, I know"

It's on the DID archive, about 7 or 8 minutes in.  It might be illegal, but I don't suppose you can sue Warner Brothers.  I assume the stage is more lenient?

Thanks - it's not often you hear Hollywood being straight. It would have been easier for them to simply write him out and say he wasn't needed, but at least they did it right by him. It's not that he couldn't be insured, it would just cost too much.

And here's me thinking Harry Potter was a billion dollar franchise....

[armadillo]

Why would it be illegal? They aren't obliged to hire anyone (and acting is exempt from a lot of equal opportunities legislation anyway). Lots of parts in Harry Potter books were skipped in the films so I suspect the insurance thing was WB's way of dumping him nicely.

[theatreliker]

Dayseated yesterday (Tuesday). Got there around 7.45 - way too early probably as the guy second in line was there just before 8.30.
Front row centre though and am glad for it. Stephen Daldry came onstage before hand to announce Robert Hardy's understudy would be on - does an announcement like normally happen in previews?
Overall, I think it was one of the best things I've ever seen. Exteremely theatrical, clever and entertaining. Saw it on the same day as The Mousetrap so it was interesting to go from one British institution to another.