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| ... January-March 2007 News willkemp.org |
| Biography * News * Articles * Multimedia * Collectibles * Links |
| March 19th: From "well brought-up middle-class boy'', to brilliant dancer, to universal heartthrob, to dynamic film and stage actor, to blissful family man.The Evening Standard gets and gives a glimpse of Will Kemp. Just FYI, not to nit-pic, but there is one paragraph in the article which is essentially inaccurate. Will's mother's name is Rosi not Rosie and she was not a dancer. Roland is not Will's older brother, it's the other way around. His sister Daisy, while she dances several roles in Swan Lake including the Italian and German Princesses, she does not dance the role of the 'lead female dancer' (which would be the role of the Queen); and it is not Adventures in Motion Pictures that she dances with (that was Matthew Bourne's first company, which no longer exists), it's New Adventures (which he launched in 2002). However, to the best of my knowledge, I believe the part about the idyllic childhood, with riding lessons, sailing holidays, dogs and a donkey named Honey would be accurate. Okay, just one other thing. EQUUS does not end in April, it ends in June. I guess I do sound a bit nit-picky don't I? Sorry. Don't mind me - really all in all, it is a nice article spiced up with some sensational photos.... .... the Calvin Kleins just peeking out .... perfect for one of those huge billboards in Times Square.... March 16th: "The Hoofer - Horsing around with Will Kemp" - this article appears in the Evening Standard Magazine that comes with today's copy of the paper. March 11th: As you may have heard, Richard Griffiths, who plays psychiatrist Martin Dysart in EQUUS, missed several performances due to a bad cold and chest infection. I am happy to relay that he not only bounded back to the stage in good health this past Friday, but 'knocked one out of the ballpark', as we like to say in the States, and was rewarded with a resounding standing ovation. Very happy to hear that news. I've also heard that some of the celebrities who've attended performances this past week include this year's Best Actress Oscar winner, Helen Mirren, actor Brendan Frasier, playwrite Tom Stoppard and Matthew Bourne. March 6th: "Will Kemp...the horses...were the highlight of the show..." Listen to the BBC News Night Review from 02 March for a round table discussion of EQUUS. Reviews for the production itself went 50/50, but comments about the scenes with Will and the other horses were described as being the most powerful part of the show. From the link above click on the 'Latest Programme' banner. The segment on EQUUS begins on about the 8.51 mark and the comments about Will begin around the 13.54 mark. You can also link directly to the video (click here) but it doesn't have a time marker. The segment begins on about the 8 1/2 notch on the counter. Many thanks to Ashleigh for this link. March 4th: "When the horses canter into full view, they are, as they were in the first production, sinewy hybrids of man and beast. Dancer Will Kemp is beautifully free and frisking. Long-limbed, head-tossing and balancing on high platform hooves, he's also, delectably, like Naomi Campbell letting rip on the catwalk." The Observer "Among the standouts: Joanna Christie is lovely and genuine as Jill, the innocent catalyst for Alan's wild rampage; Will Kemp is stalwart as Nugget, the main object of the boy's worship, and charismatic as the Young Horseman in Act I." Theatre Mania "The real victims (and heroes) are the horses. Played by strapping young men in brown attire and metal masks, they tower above the cast on their metal horseshoes. Anyone who has a love of horses will appreciate the subtle gestures and movements typical of the gentle and devoted beasts. I haven't seen such attention to detail since Matthew Bourne's all male dance cast mimicked the swans in Swan Lake. It is the blank eyes and harsh metal horse heads that stay with us as we leave the theatre." Theatre Buff Links for these reviews can be found in the EQUUS Gallery along with links to some video news reviews as well. The MSN link will give you a list of several of these clips. Just type in Equus in the 'MSN video search box' to pull up the list. The two best in which to spot Will are the AP and the CBS News vids. I have also posted a few new pics in the photo gallery. By now you may have already seen them around the net, but just in case not, click here. Last month I posted three photos from a Spanish magazine interview Will did while in Madrid. I am happy to be able to share the translated article with you now, as well as translations of the captions on the photos. And it never hurts to see those photos again does it? Semana Magazine. Thanks Mariela. February 28th: "Will Kemp, one of Matthew Bourne’s leading dancers, is an elegant horseman on the beach, where the six-year-old Alan first discovers his passion, and also Nugget, the main horse in the stable. Nugget and the other five, as in the original John Dexter production, are clad in chestnut brown costumes and fitted out in wonderful skeletal horse heads and built-up metal hooves like the cothurni in Greek tragedy." WhatsOnStage.com "On floor level around the stage are stable doors, from where Napier’s highly stylised horses emerge, played by humans wearing horse heads of twisted metal. Led by dancer Will Kemp, playing Strang’s favourite horse Nugget, their equine forms are ominous, powerful and most importantly, believable, helped by Gregory Clarke’s sound." London Theatre Guide "But no caveats can fully detract from the punch that this powerful and haunting play still packs, never more than when the horses are on stage - performers (led by actor and dancer Will Kemp) with their heads in cages of wire and metal, moving with serene majesty as dry ice rises from the stage. Dreamlike and disturbing moments." The Independent First night reviews have been posted in the Equus Gallery. February 27th: Equus premiere tonight. Best wishes Will. February 26th: I have come across a few more earlier released articles on EQUUS since opening that website section yesterday, including a photo call from Broadway.com and a feature story from Variety. Links to these, as well as today's terrific cast interview (which appears in The Telegraph), can be found in the EQUUS Gallery. Just a little aside. At last night's Academy Awards ceremony, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award was presented to Sherry Lansing, former president of 20th Century Fox (first female to head a major studio) and later chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures. Why is this of interest? She is the one who was so taken by Will's performance as the Swan/Stranger in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, that she gave him the moniker, 'The James Dean of Ballet'. February 25th: Just in time for the official London premiere of EQUUS Tuesday evening, WillKemp.org opens its EQUUS Gallery. *** 2nd Update: Interview with Richard Griffiths in The Telegraph. February 19th: Equus Director Thea Sharrock talks with The Independent about taking on the responsibility of doing justice to Peter Shaffer's play.... Three photos from one of the photo interviews Will did while in Madrid. February 16th: Equus opens to previews tonight. Best wishes to Will and the cast. February 12th: Premiere photos are now up in the Miguel & William gallery and more stills from the film have been added as well. And the 'Pic of the Week', well it's actually more than just one photo. Even better, they are courtesy of Will's sister Daisy who is dancing the role of the German Princess (and has also made quite a splash in her first performances as the Italian Princess) in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake. The company has just finished the first leg of their tour (Athens) and will soon head to Australia and then on to Russia. Daisy and some of the cast will be sending in photos from the various cities they visit to keep the New Adventures fans in the loop as the production makes its way around the world. For more, visit MatthewBourne.org. February 2nd: If we lived in Spain - and some of you do - we would be headed for the cinema this weekend and be amongst the first to see Miguel & William on the big screen. Yesterday it was press conferences and a photo call for the cast with the premiere in the evening. WireImage, almost always first out of the gate, has some shots up now - check 01 February for two galleries of photos (at this posting) or put in Will's name for all pics in which Will is featured. Here at wk.org - another gallery section will open up on the M&W page as well as in the main photo gallery. Unfortunately, I have a touch of the flu right now, so I am not sure whether I will be able to get something up by Monday or if it will be sometime early next week. Sorry about that. January 31st: First photos from Equus have come out and you can see them on the Official Site and Playbill. The photos feature Daniel Radcliffe and Joanna Christie. January 29th: It's premiere week for Miguel & William and Will is expected to stroll down the red carpet. Prior to that stroll, he will be taking part in a press conference and junket during the day. The premiere will take place at the Palacio de la Musica in Madrid that evening, 01 February, with the film officially opening in Spain the following day. I hope to have photos from these events to share with you. In the meantime, I do have photos galore from the film to share right now. In the production shots - it's a nice day for a ride whether by handsome horse or adorable little burro. In the film shots - tempers flare as it is mano-a-mano. In the cast photos - it's the rugged good looks of Juan Luis Galiardo. Next up, the third and final part of Will's interview with Warner Brothers Spain. And last but not least, the 'Pic of the Week'. After reading that Will is a fan of Star Wars, I thought this photo was fitting in its own quirky way. Or maybe it's just my own quirky sense of humor. January 26th: "Can one desire too much of a good thing?" (WS - 'As You Like It'). I think not; especially today because I've got a couple of really 'good things' to share with you. First, the Miguel & William Official Website has been updated and 'whew' - it is in both Spanish and English. Inés Paris wrote the casting information herself and it is absolutely brilliant. Her insight into choosing each actor for their roles, working with them, little anecdotes - it is such a cool thing for her to have done and like me, you will no doubt gobble up every word of it. There are also some fantastic production notes and if you are looking for new computer wallpaper, there is a great poster for you to download. Over at YouTube you will find what I believe is the trailer they are showing in Spain. We've been hearing over and over about Shakespeare's passion for women. Well, you've no idea just how much passion until you see him in action. You will also get to hear Mr. Kemp hablar español which is a real kick. All and all it looks like a film that will be great fun to watch. Still no word, by the way, on release dates if any, outside of Spain. Fingers crossed. Worse case scenario most of us will have to buy the DVD and keep an English-Spanish dictionary handy. A big thank you to Lara and to Mariela for the YouTube link. I still have a ton of photos and interview material to put up on the site and Mariela is working away at translating articles on Will that have recently come out in the Spanish press (kindly sent to me from Warner Brothers Spain. Love them). So keep a close watch and I will try to keep up. January 25th: Promotional flyer for Equus. January 24th: In Style magazine gets a quick moment with Will. January 15th: A few more articles on casting for Equus have sprung up, though neither they nor the official site are completely up-to-date at this posting as Will is confirmed to play not only Nugget but the Young Horseman. Official London Theatre Guide Broadway World.com News Broadway.com Headlines I have added a sixth photo gallery to the Miguel & William page. It will focus on various of the other cast members as well as general film shots. We'll start off with a little 'girl power' and the beautiful Elena Anaya. I have also updated the production shots gallery. Will's interview with Warner Brothers International Spain, Part Two, is now up for your reading pleasure. And the 'Pic of the Week' is....Censured! January 11th: Playbill article on Equus and one of its 'stars'. January 8th: Women! Can't live with them, can't live without them. Although Shakespeare can't be tagged for that quote, in Miguel & William apparently there is a scene where he and Cervantes are talking about how impossible women are. "Once you teach them the pleasure of love," says Shakespeare (an authority on the pleasure of love - as we've come to find out), "they learn to flourish, become flirty and coquettish." Cervantes replies to Shakespeare,"It is because you are such a great teacher of love!" Then the the two go on to talk about literature being their only true love. This next group of photos are from that scene. So let us peek in on Shakespeare and Cervantes as they enjoy their ale and lament about women - (or in today's world - beer and chics). During this month I will be giving you bits and pieces of an interview that Will did with Warner Brothers Spain in regards to the film. It may or may not appear in video form somewhere at some point, but for the time being, here is what Will had to say about his character, his fellow cast members, the production and much more. Part One. The 'Pic of the Week' is for those of you who go for the strong and silent type. |
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