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David Suchet
26th of December 2007  11:00am   updated 28th 11:00am
  
The Bank Job...
 
The trailer for The Bank Job, a film in which Suchet plays the sleazy porn king, Lew Vogel, is up. The film will be released for cinemas 29th February in UK and 7th March in USA.

 

The plot (inspired by a real-life story of an unsolved bank robbery that occured in London in 1971):
“In September 1971, thieves tunnelled into the vault of a bank in London’s Baker Street and looted safe deposit boxes of cash and jewellery worth millions and millions of pounds. None of it was recovered. Nobody was ever arrested. The robbery made headlines for a few days and then disappeared - the result of a UK Government ‘D’ Notice, gagging the press. This film reveals what was hidden in those boxes. The story involves murder, corruption and a sex scandal with links to the Royal Family - a story in which the thieves were the most innocent people involved. “

 

Trailer  - watch out for a blond wig and a 'heavy' pair of glasses... 
 
Being Danish, I find it a bit amusing that Lew is running a night club called The Denmark Club... We had that dubious 'honour' of being labeled as an 'emancipated' nation back in the sixties, because we were the first country in the world to 'liberate' pornography - so obviously the name is supposed to make Lew's guests and clients (and cinema goers) associate to 
'unrestrained emancipation'...
 
The Guardian about the film and the robbery 
 
 
 
23rd of December 2007  04:51 am

 

What better way to end the old year and start the new than in the company of Suchet...  - tune in on BBC Radio later this month and again 1st of January and listen to Suchet performing the title role in Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula adapted for radio by Scottish poet and playwright Liz Lochhead.

 

What? A two-part radio adaptation of Dracula  scroll down 

When? December 29th and January 1st at 8pm

 
 
 
3rd of December 2007
 
Somebody whispered in my ear that Suchet participates in a fundraiser event on Wednesday this week in his role as patron for Wilton's Music Hall. It was actually a small note in an article on the net saying that, four days ago... I haven't been able to find anything else on it, nothing has showed up yet, not even on Wilton's own website. So if you're interested in the event, you better watch out yourself on their site or maybe contact them to hear, whether there's anything to it, and what it's about... 
 
Updated 10th of December
Apparently this was the event:  Wilton's launch their fund-raising campaign  on the 5th of December...
It doesn't say anything about Suchet participating, though...
 
 
 
19th of November 2007
 

And the winner is........ David Suchet!
 
Suchet won the Variety Club Awards for best 'Stage performance of the Year' for his splendid performance in The Last Confession. The event was held yesterday at the Hilton Hotel in London and hosted by singer and musician Myleene Klass. The show will be broadcast later this month on Sky.
 
This is not the first time Variety honours Suchet. He also won Variety
Awards in 1999 for Amadeus and in 1994 for Oleanna. 
  
Congratulations to David Suchet!
 
 
 
 
14th of November 2007 08:58
 
As of September Suchet voice an audio tour at Eltham Palace in London...

 

The palace is a mixture in style between Stephen and Virginia Courtauld’s 1936 Art Deco Mansion and Edward IVs Great Hall from the 1470s (Tudor). The exterior of the mansion was built in respect for the older building, but the Courtaulds had a great love for fashion and glamour and filled the interior with 20th century design such as Art Deco, ocean-liner style and cutting-edge Swedish design. The 1936 mansion being a remarkable contrast to the medieval building, Eltham Palace is regarded as an outstanding masterpiece of the combined styles. It’s open to the public and holds guided tours.

 

The palace might seem familiar to some Suchet-fans; it has been used as filming location for a couple of episodes of Poirot and recently the BBC drama Maxwell.

 

David Suchet commented: “I really feel honoured and privileged to have made this tour narration of Eltham Palace. I’ve been on a couple of occasions filming ‘Poirot’, and more recently, and more memorably for me in a way, was the filming of ‘Robert Maxwell’. During that time, I’d come almost every day for about three weeks and spent a lot of the time in the house. It was just extraordinary for me to be in this wonderful, wonderful house.”
 
 
 
The Last Confession goes to Hollywood... 
 
No, sorry, just kidding...  to L.A... - but would'nt it have been great to see the play adapted for the big screen? Or at least the tele...
 
Anyway - unless Playbill.com has mixed some informations by mistake about The Last Confession and The Autumn Garden, it seems that director David Jones is going to do The Last Confession in L.A. in 2009... 

 

David Jones told Playbill.com, who met him 4th Nov on opening night of Tom Stoppard’s new play, Rock 'n' Roll (transferred from West End to Broadway)that he is doing The Last Confession at the Ahmanson in Los Angeles in January 2009 with a possibly transfer to Broadway. Not with the original London cast, I guess, since they seem to have been scheduled for other projects - but at least fellower Americans will get the chance to watch a splendid play that caught great attention in UK, has been seen by thousands and got great reviews at its sold out Chichester run. I'm sure it would please Roger Crane, too, to see his play performed in his home town... Wish our theatres in DK would do the play, too - wouldn’t mind having refreshed that interesting scheme... 
 
Playbill.comscroll down almost to the end... 
 
 
 
8th of November 2007
 
Not this time...
 
Unfortunately Suchet and The Last Confession didn’t make it to the short-list of the Evening Standard Awards... - but, the award season has just started, there are still a couple of possibilities left, so let’s just wait and see... I’ll cross my fingers...
 
 
 
 
6th of November 2007
 
Whatsonstage Theatregoers’ Choice Awards 2008 is open for voting... 
 

This is your chance to have your say on whom to reward for this years  performances and productions on the London stage (and a bit beyond).

 

You can vote on-line throughout November - the final short-list will be announced on the 7th December at a ceremony hosted by musical star Elaine Page at Café de Paris in West End. After that voting on final 
nominees continues on-line and via the printed What’s On Stage magazine from 10th December to end of January following year - the winners will be announced in February 2008.

 

So - go ahead and nominate your favourites on Whatsonstage.com Choice Awards 
 
 
 
4th of November 2007
 
Evening Standard Awards' long-list...
 
To honour this year’s huge range of fine acting and directing on the London stage, Evening Standard Awards has for the first time wished to announce the long-list of nominees in stead of only the short-list for the Awards 2007. David Suchet and The Last Confession are in the run for the final nominations as best actor and best play - Congratulations and Good Luck to Suchet and The Last Confession! 
 
The short-list will be announced next week and the award ceremony takes place at the Savoy on 27th November.
 
 
 
 
3rd of November 2007
 
The Willows in Winter...
 
Suchet reads William Horwood's The Willows in Winter on BBC7's children radio programme Big Toe Books starting with the first episode on the 5th between 7 and 8 am UK time. Listen to the broadcast live on the net or anytime thereafter within 6 days on Big Toe Books (scroll down) or here (the 'listen live' link is on your right).
 
The Willows in Winter is a sequel to Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows with all the known and beloved characters; Rat, Toad, Mole and Badger.
 
 
 
31st of October 2007
 
A new auction...
 
It seems that we are going to have a new private auction on e-Bay with allegedly previously Suchet-owned items from the same seller as last time, starting out with a Snooker scoreboard and a couple of silk rugs (you can find the rugs in the seller's store).
 
 
 
26th of October 2007 07:36 AM

 

A new DVD game with Suchet as Poirot...

 

Universal Pictures releases a new interactive Agatha Christie game with Poirot,  After the Funeral, on the 12th of November.

 

Quite unique for the game is that Poirot/Suchet and the rest of the characters are for real in there. Poirot in his very own person talks directly to you, the player, he is not just a computerized character, but the man himself in real flesh and blood. He is your guide and aid through the game and your job is to be observant, find the clues and solve the murder with his help. The game features 40 minutes of film footage from the original Poirot-episode After the Funeral.  
 
You can check it out and try the demo here - it looks quite interesting and fun. 
 

indielondon.co.uk about the release 

 
 
 
14th of October 2007
 

Gabor’s “review”…

 

Gabor is member of a forum devoted to regular-goers in UK of the musical Billy Elliot http://www.billyelliotthemusical.me.uk  They do talk about other issues, too, among other things they have been talking about The Last Confession - so here is Gabor’s written experiences on the play and his meeting with Suchet backstage door on closing night at Haymarket Theatre:

 

I saw the play on its closing night. Theatre Royal Haymarket is wonderful and it was crowded on that night. I read the book of the play earlier to be able to understand more but my fear was unfounded as their English was very beautiful and clear (after all it is not strange as they played prelates of the Vatican). I really enjoyed the play. It has some very interesting thought-provoking ideas about the Church and religion. One of my favourite parts is when John Paul I talks to Thomas the gardener:

John Paul: What does religion mean to you, Thomas?
Thomas: Mass on Sundays.
John Paul: Anything else?
Thomas: Things I can't do.
...
John Paul: What do you think of all this... the Vatican?
Thomas: A palace your Holiness.
John Paul: A palace?
Thomas: A palace... for the Pope... for you to live in.
John Paul: It does look like a palace... but it is a church.
Thomas: It has guards Your Holiness, a church doesn't have guards.
John Paul: You are right... Do you think this is where the Pope should live? Where should the Bishop of Rome live?
Thomas: ... With his people.

Another favourite part when Cardinal Benelli (Suchet) speaks about the newly elected John Paul I. It is very impressive:

"He went out and spoke to his people. He talked to children, to the old, to the infirm. He spoke to them of charity, of justice, of love, with simple stories, much as a fisherman did once, so very long ago.
It was as if a thousand year of dust and ceremonies had vanished overnight. And the people, the people loved him for it. They came by the thousands and knelt at the feet of this priest who was less than a Pope and more than a Pope. And the more they loved him, the more those nearest in power began to fear him."

It was great to meet David Suchet after the performance at the stage door. The staff started to pack the props and pieces of the scene at the back of the theatre immediately after finishing the play. After a while David Suchet arrived. He was very kind and patient. When he stepped out from the theatre he said "The King is dead. Long live the King!" as it was the last night of the play but in no time he corrected himself: "The Pope is dead. Long live the Pope!"
He signed one of his Benelli pictures for me and also allowed to take a photo with him.

 

And finally I have to mention Roger Crane the writer of the play because in spite of the fact that he is a lawyer in New York and this is his first play it is a very good one".

 

Thanks for a lovely “review” Gabor, really interesting and fun to read ;)

 

Gabor’s review on the Billy Elliot forum

 
 
 
12th of October 2007
 
David Suchet to do more Poirot films...
 
From Digital Spy 11th October
 
"David Suchet is to reprise his role as Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth in a series of four new Poirot films for ITV1.

An adaptation of Mrs McGinty’s Dead begins filming this autumn. The drama is being directed by Afterlife's Ashley Pearce and has been adapted by Nick Dear (Eroica, Byron).

Corinne Hollingsworth, ITV’s head of continuing drama said: "Poirot is one of ITV's most popular titles, and we're absolutely thrilled to be able to commission four more exciting films, featuring, once again, the incomparable David Suchet as Hercule Poirot."

Zoë Wanamaker will return in the role of Ariadne Oliver, a character which first appeared on screen in Cards On The Table in 2006. Some believe Christie based the eccentric crime novelist, who appeared in six novels with Poirot, on herself.

Phil Clymer from Chorion, which owns Agatha Christie Ltd, said: "We are thrilled that ITV are continuing to show support and enthusiasm for the world's most famous detective. We share an ambition with David Suchet that the entire Poirot library will be filmed in the next few years, and that ITV will continue to be our partners in crime."

Suchet last appeared as Poirot in four films for ITV in 2006, the first of which, The Mystery of The Blue Train, attracted a ratings peak of 8 million viewers. The Poirot stories are co-produced by ITV Productions, Chorion's Agatha Christie Ltd, and Boston public television station WGBH"
.
 
 
 
4th of October 2007
 
"Flood"...
 
According to amazon.co.uk "Flood" will be released on DVD 29th October...
 
 
 
3rd of October 2007
 
Ooops! Gabor from Hungary turned out to be a ‘he’ and not the ‘she’ I first mentioned... I was not certain about the 'she', actually, but Denmark has a female shoe-brand by the name of Gabor, so I 'settled' for Gabor in Hungary to be a ‘she’, too… Come to think of it I might unconsciously have had the divine Hungarian Zsa Zsa Gábor in mind also, and just projected the over-all female images to Gabor... I should of course have asked… - I’m sorry about the mistake, it is now corrected ;)

 

And then we’re all in for some really great pictures!
 
Gabor has sent me some more photos to put up on the site. No, not photos of Suchet, but they are still very interesting. We are back at the 15th of September at Haymarket Theatre on closing night - The Last Confession banners are still hanging between the columns during the day and after closing time (and maybe they were even there the day after, who knows) and the front of the theatre lights up late in the night. We also get a peek on what happened at the backstage door after the evenings final run of the play. It's really fun to watch, the theatre is not wasting any time in order to make room for the next production-team and starts packing stuff from The Last Confession shortly after "the end". And then there are a couple of photos from the stage-set (one of them is mine).
Thanks for the photos, Gabor, they are great!
 
Now we're at it, take a look at Diana's great photos from Haymarket Theatre, too! She went to watch the play earlier this year and took a picture of the wonderful theatre building during daylight as well as some of the golden-framed posters hanging on the building's facade. They are excellent documentaries of the play (and the headlines!), it's so great to have these pictures. Thanks mon ami!