Godley Replaces Paul Rhys, Shows Resume 1 NovDate: 10 October 2005
Following the cancellations of last week’s performances, including the press night, Paul has lost its leading man. Paul Rhys (pictured), who was due to take the title role in the world premiere of Howard Brenton’s controversial new play at the National Theatre, has withdrawn citing exhaustion.
In the 400-seat NT Cottesloe, there are no understudies. Adam Godley - currently performing in another production in the Cottesloe repertory, Mike Leigh’s Two Thousand Years - has now been cast to take over from Rhys. However, all remaining performances of the play this month have been cancelled while Godley rehearses with the rest of the company. Paul will resume on 1 November 2005, ahead of a rescheduled press night on 9 November. It’s booking until 4 February 2006.
This is the third time that Rhys has had to bow out of a high-profile stage production. In 2002, he withdrew from the NT revival of Ivanov on account of a personal bereavement (See News, 29 Jul 2005) and, earlier this year, he withdrew from the Ralph Fiennes-led Barbican staging of Julius Caesar, owing to a “combination of a virus infection and physical exhaustion following a demanding filming schedule” (See News, 7 Mar 2005). He’s previously been seen in The Invention of Love and the Complicite co-production of Measure for Measure at the NT.
Ahead of the start of previews on 30 September 2005, Brenton’s play about the saint who renounced his former life, changed his name and devoted himself to preaching the gospel, had already attracted complaints from some Christian groups, who implored NT artistic director Nicholas Hytner to call off the ‘blasphemous’ production (See The Goss, 14 Sep 2005).
Brenton, of course, is no stranger to controversy. His play The Romans in Britain, premiered at the National in 1980, became infamous for its graphic scene of male-on-male rape, which inspired campaigner Mary Whitehouse to instigate a private prosecution (later dropped) under the Sexual Offences Act of 1956.
Adam Godley’s other stage credits include The Pillowman, Private Lives, Mouth to Mouth and Cleo, Camping, Emanuelle and Dick. Paul is directed by Howard Davies and designed by Vicki Mortimer. The cast also features Lloyd Owen as Peter, Paul Higgins as James and Kellie Bright as Mary Magdalene.
Theatregoers who booked for one of this month’s cancelled performances are advised to contact the National Theatre box office to arrange refunds or exchanges.
- by Terri Paddock
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