After Danse Macabre, it was November and I was wrecked tired. Fortunately, I got a nice little trip to New York that month and I got to see Hamlet performed by Jude Law at the Broadhurst Theatre, directed by Michael Grandage. I will admit, I was a bit prejudiced going in. I didn't think he was going to be any good. I thought it was going to be one of those occasions where they parachute in a barely literate 'celebrity' to put bums on seats. How very wrong I was. He was bloody fantastic and anytime he opened his mouth on stage I was utterly mesmerized. I've seen many performances of Hamlet, some abyssmal, some excellent but it's a testament to how much I love the play that I'll sit through anything just to see these words performed. Jude Law made it seem like I was watching it for the first time. I take my hat off to you sir, you're a fine performer.
(Here I am outside the theatre with my ticket. I really love Hamlet, I wanted evidence I was there and we going as a friend's birthday treat so it was extra nice!)
So, once I was home from New York and I'd had a rest over Christmas, 2010 rolled along and brought the snow with it on New Year's Eve. It was wasn' the best start to the year, but pretty soon there was work on the horizon. Keith Ward, one of the gang from Whiplash, had decided he wanted to have a go at directing, so he put together some actors he'd worked with before and produced a slightly adapted version of David Campton's After Midnigt -- Before Dawn in Smock Alley Studio under the banner of Silent Blade Productions. He directed us through a little Meisner technique and even added in a little snippet of Inuit throat singing at the opening of the show for a very atmospheric beginning. He was helped by Donncha O'Dea doing costumes, choreograhy and any else he could lend his deft hand to. It was one of the most interesting and enjoyable experiences I've had doing a show and I was delighted to come away with a lot of praise for my performance.
The photo above is of myself (seated) playing The Calm Woman in one of our dress rehearsals and Shannon Ryan playing The Neat Woman. The full cast included myself, Neil Fleming, Rob McDermott, Aoife Moore, Paul Nolan and Shannon Ryan.
Here's a link to a review of the piece and another one about half way down the page here which gives the following very complinmentary review of my performance. How nice to be called mesmerizing!
"The 6 actors onstage gave energetic if sometimes chaotic performances and with the level of activity onstage you really needed to be special to stand out. Nicole Elizabeth, as the devil worshipper who tempts the other characters, was mesmerizing, partly because she was the only stationary person onstage! She was very compelling and it was hard to pull your focus back to the other characters who were mostly running wildly around the stage muttering incoherently."
I've been bugging Keith to do this show again because we had a really minimalist set that could be brought anywhere, but he doesn't want to because he wants to be in it himself, rather than direct. Who could blame him, it was great fun to do!
Enjoy xxx
Nicole E
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