Favourite ACTOR you have seen performing live

[robinsonsgrin]

sir Kenneth of branagh in much ado about nothing with Samantha bond.. superb!

also looked after Vanessa redgrave and the yummy david harewood when they performed at the Arundel festival in the 90s.. top notch..

 

[WATFORD zero]

Sir Ian McKellen in The Syndicate at the Minerva Theatre at Chichester. I was in the second row and there is no stage, so the great Man was but a few feet away doing his work.

In the main theatre at Chichester, Simon Callow doing Dickens short stories and Greta Scacchi in Easy Virtue, also Richard "Uncle Monty" Griffiths in The Man Who Came to Dinner, although that wasn't his strongest performance I should admit, and most recently in the temporary "theatre in the park" Adrian Edmondson in Neville's Island

Nigel Hawthorne and Ian Holm in The Madness of George III at the National Theatre
And going back to late childhood, Michael Crawford in Barnum at the London Palladium

Isn't that a list of actors that you've seen ? or are they all your favourites ?

 

[Dave the OAP]

Ian mcellan and Patrick Stewart in waiting for goddo

Brilliant performances.

 

[Cosmic Joker]

Isn't that a list of actors that you've seen ? or are they all your favourites ?

Yes they are all among my favourites. The first listed especially so. It is possible to have more than one. No it is not a complete list of the actors, or even lead actors, I have seen performing. Hope this helps.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Yes they are all among my favourites. The first listed especially so. It is possible to have more than one. No it is not a complete list of the actors, or even lead actors, I have seen performing. Hope this helps.

Immensely

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Peter O'Toole in Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell which had its debut at the Theatre Royal prior to West End.
Extraordinarily powerful, mesmerising portrayal of a Soho legend

Ditto. Peter O'Toole, Premier of Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell', Theatre Royal, front row, bang centre.

Next day at Brighton Races, got my JBIU programme signed by Peter O'Toole, Ned Sherrin, Keith Waterhouse and Jeffrey Bernard. Pretty unique aye?

The play was damn fine. The columns were infinitely superior tho, truly 'a suicide note in weekly instalments'.

JB = HST with a UK twist.

 

[CP 0 3 BHA]

Stand outs for me would include

Ian McKellan: Richard III
Denis Quilley: Sweeney Todd
Hugh Jackman & Maureen Lipman: Okahoma
Michael Gambon: Skylight
Felicity Kendall/Rufus Sewell: Arcadia
Luke Threadaway: Curious Incident

The common thread is that they were all at the National Theatre. Its a place where I've had so many unforgettable experiences at the theatre.

 

[The Mole]

Michael Gambon as Lear at Stratford in 1983 was pretty special.

More recently Shannon tarbet's performance as Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird at the Royal Exchange was sensational

 

[Danny-Boy]

Derek Jacobi, Richard II,
Peter O'Toole: Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell,

Yes I saw DJ in Dick2 (or was it 3?) Fantastic.

O'Toole is the last of the old hellraisers now.

 

[Vegas Seagull]

Peter O'Toole in Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell which had its debut at the Theatre Royal prior to West End.
Extraordinarily powerful, mesmerising portrayal of a Soho legend

Sad news, died aged 81

 

[Big_Unit]

Michael Gambon as Lear at Stratford in 1983 was pretty special.

More recently Shannon tarbet's performance as Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird at the Royal Exchange was sensational

Shannon's from Brighton. She is v good.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I saw David Suchet before anybody had ever nheard of him in a production of Moliere's Dom Juan at the Worthing Connaught Theatre in 1969/70 or thereabouts. he played the servant figure (Sganarelle?) and was brilliant.
Ian McKellen in King Lear in oxford early 1970's
Michael Hordern in Jumpers by Tom Stoppard somewhere in London late 70's early '80's. excellent.
James Bolam early 1970's in Southampton in something by Samuel Beckett - real class.

Good live theatre takes a hell of a lot of beating.

PS - saw Joseph Fiennes playing Jesus in dennis potter's Son of Man at the National Theatre a few years ago. The best performance I have ever seen on the stage by anybody anywhere.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Frank bruno!

 

[Southy]

The Gambon in his prime was incredible. I saw him twice, in the early 80's at the RSC playing King Lear (when he was in his late 40's!) and as has already been mentioned, playing Eddie Carbone in A View from the Bridge. In both he was extraordinary, a force of nature mixed in with an incredible vulnerability. Sad to hear about O'Toole, never saw him live but he was one of the old school, a proper star. Could be a huge ham at times but that was his charm. Gambon had an ease and heart to his acting which was way ahead of his time. For me he is our best.

 

[Norman Potting]

Rowan Atkinson at the The Dome at around the time NTNOCN was big. Brilliant.

 

[wardy wonder land]

Terry Scott

Eastbourne Panto circa 1979

 

[The Oldman]

If I'd been in your shoes I'd have asked him what on earth he was thinking when he signed up for that ITV shitcom with Sir Ian McKellen.

Money?

 

[Boys 9d]

Roy Dotrice in the revival of his one man show "Brief Lives" at the Theatre Royal.

 

[The Oldman]

As a young lad I was mesmerised by Dame Flora Robson at the Theatre Royal. Cannot remember the play but she was brilliant.

Whilst on the subject of stage presence Max Bygraves in the 1950's was absolutely fantastic. He did a summer season at the Hippodrome ad I don't think I have ever heard an audience laugh as much. They were crying with laughter