It seems that most of the reviewers have really liked her performance in "Speed the Plow". I thinks she has brought the part something of the "Mary Poppins" quality (charm-ambiguity-mystery...). Have you seen the play? What do you think of her?

I saw her on the train to Clapham Junction on Monday night when I was going home from The Hour We knew Nothing... Nothing interesting to add to that, just thought I'd share!

I thought her fairly mundane

I thought she was brilliant, I thoroughly enjoyed her performance. I saw her understudy on Saturday, and while she was still very good, it's obvious that Laura adds a lot to the role.

I haven't seen her I really really want to, I absolutely loved her in LOTR (I know it's completely different part, but I generally think she's wonderful)

So she doesn't do all performances. Is there a schedule? Who's her understudy?

I actually went on Friday, sorry! I think she was just ill, though, I don't think there's a particular schedule. Her understudy's name is Emma Clifford.

Good old Laura still keeping up her missing show routine!

I just hoped she was doing all shows (as actors in Donmar productions do). I was planning to come to London for this production but it would be a great disappointment if she was not on. I'm not sure if I'd like to risk that (tickets are rather expensive-both theatre tickets and aeroplane tickets!)

Laura is great in the role too so shame you missed her.

Um.....I've seen LOTR many times, and not once had she missed a show, she may have missed some but so have all actors, and if she's ill....that's hardly something she can change at will...stop being so pessimistic.

Seen LOTR many times??!!!, sorry didn't get past that as if that true you need therapy!

I'm not willing to get in to an argument about this, just stop being so pessimistic and judgemnetal of people you don't know.

And you don't know them either and only have your basic personal experience to back up your point.

Laura has missed many shows in all the productions she has done and that is common knowledge in the West End and not many actresses miss performances in plays and Laura has missed some already in a 90 min play she is in for less than 45,not pessimistic just fact, so deal with it!

I feel far too aware that I am cautiously entering into what is a soon to become argument so try not to guys eh?

Firstly, Verty, Jessie has her personal experience and you yours. Secondly, I personally don't think Laura is going out of her way to miss performances for no good reason, if she isn't up to performing, isn't it better that she miss the performance and let the understudy perform than go and give a mediocre performance? Be it play or musical or whatever. I too have seen Lord of the Rings many times, and I have talked to other people who have also and very rarely was she missing, I'm intruiged to know how you know how many performances she's missed. Thirdly Jessie don't call people judgemental and pessimistic on the basis of a few posts. However everyone is entitled to their opinion and you Verity shouldn't tell Jessie she needs therapy simply because she likes LOTR and you don't.

Now feel free to post how you think I'm patronizing and shouldn't tell you what to do

All I will say is you must be a very unasuming meek little person to give your self the name you have.
Sorry I didnt get very far in your messaage but sure you were jst trying to be helpful and are a wonderful perfect person who knows it all.
You have a good weekend now!

For your information (however little you care) I have this username as I'm a fan of Phantom of the Opera, not a 'self proclaiming other world deity wishing to bring music to all who are good'. I won't say any more by telling you what I thought of your reply.

Back on topic, I was told that they've changed the pitch and some lyrics of Laura's songs in LOTR, as if it wasn't hard enough to measure up to the standard set by her, they shouldn't change it to suit the new girls ability, either they can sing it or they can't!

they shouldn't, but they may change it back as she gets in to the role, in Toronto she didn't do the very top note in Lothlorien, and she added it later in London, many the new one will improve and change it herself.....still won't be the same without Laura

awful awful awful, she really can not act if its not musical theatre melodrama. i dont know about her missing shows but god one thing is for sure shes awfull!!!!! i loved her in poppins, LOTR wasnt great but this is a stinker!

It's not uncommon for there to be different versions of songs in musicals. Beauty & The Beast and Sweeney Todd have both used transpositions to suit different performers. It's not as though we are talking about changing Mozart (although most performances of Mozart are at a different pitch standard from what he might have expected). And in the C19 it was extremely common to transpose and adapt operatic roles to suit the performer.

And LMK didn't sing the notes of "Practically Perfect" as written.

Laura does miss a lot of shows it seems,I have been to many of her productions over the last 5 years and she was missing quite often I have to and not always ill but maybe doing another project from what I was told ,but anyways have just seen her in Speed The Plow and thought she was really great and I am not sure the other two actors were sticking 100% to the script and Laura coped with that amazingly well i thought for a first straight role but think her voice might not hold up too well as its the first time she has had to throw her voice and unmiked so maybe finding it a bit tough on the vocal chords.

She was off when I saw Lord of the Rings but the cd is amazing ,well the dvd even better with surround sound ,if it had sounded like that in the theatre it would have House Full signs out every night!

Sorry to say I found LMK terribly bland in the role and utterly overshadowed by her two ultra-charismatic co-stars. The pace of the play flags desperately in Act 2 when she is required to drive the action. Her acting choices are mundane and in what could have been an intriguingly mysterious role, she merely plays it as a "nice girl". She might be OK in musical theatre but she's no great shakes as an actress. And her voice! It's so sing-songy and lacking in conviction. I rapidly switched off whenever she opened her mouth - it was like listening to the school teacher in Snoopy. Thousands of actresses could play the role a hundred times better - other than she's just worked for the director, God knows why she's been given the part.

No idea if she has a reputation for being a McCutcheon in terms of missing shows, but if I were you, I'd be happy to see the understudy.

I agree she gave a wet insipid, interpretation of a fantastic part, better casting could certainly have been employed! Lets get her back in a musical where she belongs!

I do agree, she is completly out acted by Jeff Goldblum and Kevin Spacey, but come on most people would be when youre acting oposit possibly 2 of the funniest men ever in a show in the west end. To me Laura is brilliant in the role of Karen, she brings that relaxed clam outlook on things but when she needs to be a bit of a bitch she can. totally dont understand how people can say shes bland in the role. plus shes so nice to meet

Nice-to-meet shouldn't form part of an objective assessment of someone's ability to act a role on stage :-)
I don't understand how "is completely out-acted" and "is brilliant in the role" can be compatible; either one or the other, unless the overriding quality required of the part is to be completely out-acted by the other members of the cast.

If she is as hopeless as many seem to say,how does she keep getting the jobs,what do the directors and producers see that you lot dont?!

what i meant was that anyone no matter who you are would be out acted compared to Spacey/Goldblum but Laura is able to keep up and is great in the role of Karen,compared to what a lot of people have been saying, I think shes an amazing actress

She's not hopless at all - she is extremely talented and it is no wonder that directors and producers hire her; however in Speed-the-Plow she is simply not up to the job.

I have to say as much as I LOVE Laura, her American accent is TERRIBLE in this show! Her acting was fine, but next to these 2 amazing acting gods, she looked bad. And I guess she's not used to straight acting, so it mustve been a huge challenge for her without her gorgeous singing voice! But she is definitely, for once, not the star of the show!

[quote name='Guest' date='Mar 25 2008, 02:53 PM' post='28041']
She's not hopless at all - she is extremely talented and it is no wonder that directors and producers hire her; however in Speed-the-Plow she is simply not up to the job.
[/quote
So you know more than Spacey and Warchus do you and dont remember her getting many bad reviews,many less talented souls seem to be so jelaous of LMK and are so ready to stick the knife in ,given half a chance.

If you are going to continue this argument here could you both register so that it doesn't appear that someone is arguing with herself? Thank you.

Oh I don't know, if they argue with themselves we won't have to bother, will we

Who cares what you two think! registering is for boring dull people who think up stupid names!

Oh, your insults are like a dagger to my heart.

I'm not interested in having a debate about registering or not registering...

Nor do I think myself any better or worse than Matthew Warchus and Kevin Spacey...

Nor for that matter am I jealous of Laura Michelle Kelly; just because I don't think someone is very good in a particular production doesn't mean i'm automatically jealous of her. However my point remains that she wasn't very good in speed-the-plow not least because you couldn't hear her. I think they could have found someone to make more of the part - simple as that!

I thought she was pretty good. And that this thread is depressing.

Depressing? ??! This is the best thread in ages! And a great lesson in irony, sarcams and completely missing the point!

More please.

firstly i would like to say i saw laura in lotr 3 times and found she was amazing her voice was beter than anyone else in the show im sorry that i cant comment on LMK in speed the plow but i wanted to voice my opinions because i think that she is a class apart and i feel her next move should be as elphaba in london because she has the vocal range but i have heard from family that saw her in in S-T-P that she should just stick to musicals.