Spacey Defers to UK Actors & Directors???

When news leaked earlier this year that the Old Vic had the rights to John Osborne’s 1957 play The Entertainer, many commentators assumed that Kevin Spacey would himself take on the title role as Archie Rice, sleazy, tax-dodging music hall comedian immortalised on stage and screen by Laurence Olivier. In fact, Spacey revealed at today’s press briefing to unveil his new season (See Today’s News), he’s had the London rights for the play for three or four years and, while he always planned that the Old Vic would mount a 50th anniversary revival, he was never a shoo-in to star. “The truth is, you can’t take all the good parts for yourself. It’s just not fair,” joked Spacey today. “And, when you have a talent like Robert, who I think was born to play the role, it was a hard decision.” He continued: “It’s hugely important that we build a company will survive and thrive long after my tenure is over.” When asked why he wasn’t yet committing to directing any productions in his third season, he said that – aside from being tied up with A Moon for the Misbegotten, which may transfer to New York if it does well at the Old Vic, where it finishes on 23 December – he also had to defer to others. “When you’ve got Matthew Warchus, Edward Hall and Sean Holmes, you don’t need me.”

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