October 24, 2012

When David's production of Hamlet was set to open in the West End a flurry of press surrounding 'celebrity' casting in theatre appeared, spear-headed by Sir Jonathan Miller.

This topic has been around for ages and reared it's head again in 2011 when producers suggested replacing Oliver Ford Davies with Harry Hill for a London audiance.

Unlike Miller, Sir Alan Auckbourn recognised that David IS a theatre actor and not just a 'celebrity'.


"The award-winning playwright said the tendency to rely on household names, many of whom have had no acting training, in order to attract a wider audience was “just ridiculous”.

And while he expressed admiration for Hill’s work as a comedian and television presenter, he suggested that the idea to cast him as the notoriously melancholy poet was indicative of a wider problem.

“There are people like David Tennant who is a first-class actor, full stop, who just happens to have been in Doctor Who,” he said.

“But if you come out of I’m a Celebrity … and then turn up doing Hedda Gabler at the Royal Court, you could well be on a hiding to nothing. It’s just ridiculous.” 

Taken from The Daily Telegraph - September 6, 2011 - 

You can click here to read the whole article.