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Post by hollyc on May 13, 2011 2:29:29 GMT -5
I have a ticket for the Masterclass today but I am too poorly to get there...it is an e ticket so if anyone here wants it pm me asap. (Mrs P needs moral support)
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Post by MRS-PUREFOY on May 13, 2011 16:01:56 GMT -5
Soooo....I went to the class, it was interesting, he was brilliant and no i didn't talk to him. He was funny, witty, charming, waved his hands about a lot and swore ;D
So i arrived on my own after Lynne couldn't make it, plonked myself in the first row at first, then moved to second row as the stage is too high. The class was held in the main theater where the play is shown. There was around 60 people present, all young drama students.
The session began by James being introduced, he opened by humbly saying how amazed he was that so many people turned up. He then explained the content of the session, and that a group of drama students would join him on stage to act out a scene from king Lear. He then went into his background at rsc and how king Lear is one of his favorite pieces of Shakespeare because of the love, sincerity and passion in its content. He gave loads of tips on acting skills that he'd been taught at drama school. Then he went onto saying about his favorite production of king Lear was the 1971 version by Peter Brook, and recommends that you see it. He then spoke about Shakespeare and the way he wrote the plays, pointing out the hidden points in the script, and how there was no directors back in the day of Shakespeare.
There was so much content, that it would be impossible for me to remember it all. So whilst i was observing, i noticed those huge hands, and those large feet, he even put his glasses on throughout the class to read the script, and sat at the edge of the stage within an arms reach of me. He was wearing those bloody converse sneakers, that were all worn out on the bottom, his favorite stone wash jeans, dark blue t shirt and the blazer.
After the intro he invites a group of students up onto the stage, and lets them play out their part of the play. Was very funny to watch him, itching to butt in and correct them on certain parts. So after he makes recommendations to them, and tries to give them some guidance about putting more passion, and accentuating the words. Most of the class was James correcting them and giving advice. He made some really good points and gave some sound advice to the kids. On seeing the students, it makes you realize how truly talented James is as an actor and how well he is able to emphasize on the smallest things to get the point across.
At the end there was a q&a for half hour. He went onto say that he has written two films, and hopes to direct them one day. That he will go into directing stage before he does films. That he isn't keen on LA and the methods that us actors use, how everything there is very clinical and that British actors are more classically trained. He likes the fact that he gets lots of movies with swords. Someone asked what did he do when he was unemployed, (this bit made me think of something that Iris quoted) he replied, keep busy, there is too much to do in life to stay in the house and do nothing, get out there and grab every little bit of experience in life, he said he is always doing something, cant keep himself still for one minute! Another question was how he got into acting, he said that whilst working in the hospital his dad said he should go back to college and do his o levels, so he chose two subjects (and wanted to get into advertising) the third subject which was drama he chose because there was four boys in the group (two of which were gay) and twelve girls and also because he loved Shakespeare. He was asked if he prefers stage or film, he said film because you can build on the project. Would he do stage again, he said he would, maybe Shakespeare? When he makes mistakes how does he cover them up, he said that just the other night someone knocked over a pint of beer on stage and they had to get around it. Something was also mentioned about how annoying it is when people don't turn their phones of in theaters, and that if a phone rings when he's on stage that he will deliberately stop acting and wait for them to turn it off. Somebody asked how he learns his lines, he said that he uses an app on his ipad and iphone called rehearse. Does he still go to screenings for parts, he said that he gets asked to do a lot of the work now days, but he does sometimes go to them and often videos himself and sends it overseas. He made a joke about a screening he went to for Spooks and Matthew Macfadyen got the part instead of him and he was pissed off, then he watched him play the part and thought he was brilliant, and did a better job than he could have done. He spoke about different kinds of actors and actors adopting the celebrity status, that was something he has deliberately avoided because it emphasizes on you as a person and not your skills as an actor.
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Post by hollyc on May 13, 2011 16:10:34 GMT -5
Thanks for that wonderful recap mrs P. Sounds like he has the makings of a really good teacher. I really regret not being able to see it. I bet the students were really pleased they'd gone to this. I gather he ran over by half an hour too becuase he was so into it. Lovely man. My friend who attended is now converted!
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Post by MRS-PUREFOY on May 13, 2011 16:14:32 GMT -5
;D Thanks for that wonderful recap mrs P. Sounds like he has the makings of a really good teacher. I really regret not being able to see it. I bet the students were really pleased they'd gone to this. I gather he ran over by half an hour too becuase he was so into it. Lovely man. My friend who attended is now converted! Still adding to it Lynne, keep remembering bits
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Post by kathy on May 13, 2011 18:51:45 GMT -5
Thanks so much Mrs P for that very comprehensive and extremely interesting report on the Master Class. The more I hear about James the more I realise what a charming, down to earth, witty and helpful person he is and just how much he loves his chosen profession and I guess as far as acting is concerned he likes to dot all his I's and cross all his T's!! I bet you were in your element Mrs P, but you have still not spoken to him!! So sorry you were not well enough to go Lynne. Thanks again Mrs P
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Post by irisastres on May 13, 2011 22:44:05 GMT -5
Mrs. P - you're an absolute angel. Reading your post made me feel like I was there. And OH I really, really would have dug that. So you are a star in my sky for taking the time to write all that down for us. I appreciate it more than I can say. It sounds like a wonderful day. So... who knows what size Converse he wears?
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Post by MRS-PUREFOY on May 14, 2011 5:15:22 GMT -5
Mrs. P - you're an absolute angel. Reading your post made me feel like I was there. And OH I really, really would have dug that. So you are a star in my sky for taking the time to write all that down for us. I appreciate it more than I can say. It sounds like a wonderful day. So... who knows what size Converse he wears? Well i used to sell Converse in my shop, they have to be a 12 uk
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Post by MRS-PUREFOY on May 14, 2011 5:27:27 GMT -5
Thanks so much Mrs P for that very comprehensive and extremely interesting report on the Master Class. The more I hear about James the more I realise what a charming, down to earth, witty and helpful person he is and just how much he loves his chosen profession and I guess as far as acting is concerned he likes to dot all his I's and cross all his T's!! I bet you were in your element Mrs P, but you have still not spoken to him!! So sorry you were not well enough to go Lynne. Thanks again Mrs P He has so much passion for what he does Kath, he will be a meticulous director one day! Its not easy going up to him and talking, to have the courage to approach and start talking is beyond me, anyho he was on the stage and i would have had to climb up there to talk (not that i would dare)
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Post by hollyc on May 14, 2011 7:49:40 GMT -5
Thanks so much Mrs P for that very comprehensive and extremely interesting report on the Master Class. The more I hear about James the more I realise what a charming, down to earth, witty and helpful person he is and just how much he loves his chosen profession and I guess as far as acting is concerned he likes to dot all his I's and cross all his T's!! I bet you were in your element Mrs P, but you have still not spoken to him!! So sorry you were not well enough to go Lynne. Thanks again Mrs P Thanks! I was pretty miserable all day until Mrs P texted me! And then my friend who went and who doesn't know James phoned me and spent half an hour gushing over him and saying how impressed she was! So Mrs P do you think there will be a dvd available of the session? I hope so. AND next time we are together in his awesome presence I will make you talk to him (stage door before the last performance)
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Post by cat on May 14, 2011 14:53:38 GMT -5
Oh Mrs. P, what a treat for you to have been able to go. So sorry that you had to miss it holly I just forwarded your "review" of the class to my sister, who has never understood my devotion to James. She's a actress so I think she will get something from his suggestions...and maybe understand better why I am so in awe of this lovely person. Thanks for the writeup, wish I could have been there with you...I could have been yet another one that would be too shy to say something
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Post by kathy on May 14, 2011 19:12:46 GMT -5
Thanks so much Mrs P for that very comprehensive and extremely interesting report on the Master Class. The more I hear about James the more I realise what a charming, down to earth, witty and helpful person he is and just how much he loves his chosen profession and I guess as far as acting is concerned he likes to dot all his I's and cross all his T's!! I bet you were in your element Mrs P, but you have still not spoken to him!! So sorry you were not well enough to go Lynne. Thanks again Mrs P He has so much passion for what he does Kath, he will be a meticulous director one day! Its not easy going up to him and talking, to have the courage to approach and start talking is beyond me, anyho he was on the stage and i would have had to climb up there to talk (not that i would dare) I understand Mrs P but just being there would have been enough, what I would give to have the chance..oh well, maybe one day, I will never give up hope, I am so in awe of James and to meet him would be a dream come true I have saved your fantastic report so I can read it again and again whenever I want to
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Post by MRS-PUREFOY on May 15, 2011 4:55:33 GMT -5
Thanks so much Mrs P for that very comprehensive and extremely interesting report on the Master Class. The more I hear about James the more I realise what a charming, down to earth, witty and helpful person he is and just how much he loves his chosen profession and I guess as far as acting is concerned he likes to dot all his I's and cross all his T's!! I bet you were in your element Mrs P, but you have still not spoken to him!! So sorry you were not well enough to go Lynne. Thanks again Mrs P Thanks! I was pretty miserable all day until Mrs P texted me! And then my friend who went and who doesn't know James phoned me and spent half an hour gushing over him and saying how impressed she was! So Mrs P do you think there will be a dvd available of the session? I hope so. AND next time we are together in his awesome presence I will make you talk to him (stage door before the last performance) It was being filmed and there was lots of pics taken by a theater person, and there was a DVD on sale in the foyer of another masterclass, so i guess so. Maybe we could email the theater to ask, or contact masterclass? As for me talking to James i will do it one day ;D
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Post by MRS-PUREFOY on May 15, 2011 4:59:28 GMT -5
He has so much passion for what he does Kath, he will be a meticulous director one day! Its not easy going up to him and talking, to have the courage to approach and start talking is beyond me, anyho he was on the stage and i would have had to climb up there to talk (not that i would dare) I understand Mrs P but just being there would have been enough, what I would give to have the chance..oh well, maybe one day, I will never give up hope, I am so in awe of James and to meet him would be a dream come true I have saved your fantastic report so I can read it again and again whenever I want to Shame i cant remember everything he said, i remembered the best bits tho
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Post by MRS-PUREFOY on May 15, 2011 5:01:29 GMT -5
Oh Mrs. P, what a treat for you to have been able to go. So sorry that you had to miss it holly I just forwarded your "review" of the class to my sister, who has never understood my devotion to James. She's a actress so I think she will get something from his suggestions...and maybe understand better why I am so in awe of this lovely person. Thanks for the writeup, wish I could have been there with you...I could have been yet another one that would be too shy to say something You and me both Cat, we would sit there quietly 'ing
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evakub
Full Member
simply purefect
Posts: 413
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Post by evakub on May 15, 2011 10:59:32 GMT -5
Thanks! I was pretty miserable all day until Mrs P texted me! And then my friend who went and who doesn't know James phoned me and spent half an hour gushing over him and saying how impressed she was! So Mrs P do you think there will be a dvd available of the session? I hope so. AND next time we are together in his awesome presence I will make you talk to him (stage door before the last performance) It was being filmed and there was lots of pics taken by a theater person, and there was a DVD on sale in the foyer of another masterclass, so i guess so. Maybe we could email the theater to ask, or contact masterclass? As for me talking to James i will do it one day ;D thank you so much for your marvellous report, I wish I could write like that. Please keep us posted about the DVD and where to buy it eventually,this might not be an amazon matter.
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