Hello, and welcome back to Week in Review, our roundup of industry-wide news. From stage to screens big and small, we’ve got you covered. It’s everything you need to know and all you can’t afford to miss.
A Very English Scandal leads the BAFTA Craft Awards while Stephen Mangan dons a dress
Russell T Davies’ drama A Very English Scandal led the winners of the BAFTA Craft Awards last week, beating favourite Killing Eve. Coming a month ahead of the BAFTA TV ceremony, the Craft Awards focuses on behind-the-screen talent, celebrating the best writers and directors as well as composers, editors, and costume. Despite BAFTA bending the rules to allow the entry of nine-times-nominated Killing Eve, the drama only took away two awards: Best Original Music and Best Sound: Fiction. Meanwhile, host Mangan played tribute to the series by dressing up in Villanelle’s infamous pink dress and parodying Jodie Comer’s character.
Killing Eve and A Very English Scandal also look set to lead the night at BAFTA TV awards, set for 12 May, with a healthy 14 and 12 nods respectively. Jed Mercurio’s thriller Bodyguard is up for five awards in total, with Richard Madden missing out on a leading actor nomination. It’s a disappointing year for Netflix after previous highs with The Crown and Black Mirror – only their interactive adventure Bandersnatch is up for an award. Read more here.
Rami Malek and Phoebe Waller-Bridge join Bond 25
Confirmation at last! Fleabag creator Waller-Bridge will co-write and Oscar-winning actor Malek will star as the baddie in the 25th outing of James Bond, a film still without a title. At a launch event in Jamaica last week, returning and new cast members joined Daniel Craig to tease the feature in which he’ll play Bond for the fifth and final time.
Joining the team on the recommendation of Craig, Waller-Bridge is only the second female writer in 007’s history. She’ll be working with seasoned Bond co-writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade alongside Scott Z Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum). Producer Barbara Broccoli hinted at a shift in the tone of this Bond in the wake of MeToo, saying the “movement has had a huge impact – rightfully, thankfully – on society, and these films should reflect that.”
Malek, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury, is to play “a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.” In a video message to the team in Jamaica, he said: “I will be making sure Mr Bond does not have an easy ride in this, his 25th outing. See you all soon.”
READ: More on Bond 25
Shila Iqbal loses Emmerdale role over teenage tweets
Actor Shila Iqbal has become the latest actor to lose their job and suffer major career damage after it was discovered she had tweeted homophobic and racist statements in 2012 and 2013. Iqbal, who played Aiesha Richards in the long-running ITV soap Emmerdale, said she respected the producer’s decision to “make a moral stand” and show “we don’t tolerate that language in society” but questioned whether it is “fair that I’m being judged on something I did as a teenager?” The actor said: “I made a mistake...that’s not who I am.”
This incident comes after actor Seyi Omooba, due to play a queer character in the musical The Color Purple, departed the production after it emerged she had posted homophobic material on Facebook. In recent weeks, Equity have urged performers to exercise caution on social media, saying: “Our members, like those in every industry, should be mindful that anything they post on social media can become publicly available and may be seen by a future employer.”
Jake Quickenden opens up after panic attack forces him offstage
The actor and singer has opened up to followers on Twitter after a panic attack forced him offstage last week. The performer, currently on tour in the musical Hair, released a statement shortly after to explain he had been “suffering really bad anxiety.” The latest in a string of performers speaking out about anxiety in the industry, Quickenden told fans: “I’ve never had [a panic attack] and I honestly didn’t know what was happening. I felt like I was dying and it all got a bit much.”
Information and support for performers is available from ArtsMinds and from the free Theatre Helpline.
First baby-friendly performance in the West End
A first for Theatreland saw reports of “bottle warmers and rows of changing mats...installed in the bars” as the West End production of Emilia opened the house for a baby-friendly performance. The pioneering initiative saw parents and carers invited to bring children under 12 months and “let them roar” during the hit play exploring the life of Emilia Bassano, reckoned to be the “dark lady” of Shakespeare’s sonnets. Writer Morgan Lloyd Malcolm said: “I couldn’t be more proud of the whole team making it happen. I’m mostly excited about meeting ALL THE BABIES. Who’s coming? #LetThemRoar.”
While relaxed performances of plays are common at most theatres, the West End has been resistant to following the example of cinemas and hosting baby-friendly performances for parents and carers. Actor and parent Gemma Goggin, who has tweeted and blogged about the subject, said that more adapted performances “can be done” but that it requires “a shift in attitude.”
READ: How to Act in a ‘Relaxed Performance’
Marvel comes to Pinewood
Marvel’s latest feature The Eternals is to film in the UK later this year, bringing the story of Jack Kirby’s Eternals to the big screen. Rumoured to star Angelina Jolie, the film is set millions of years ago when super-powered species the Eternals battled the evil Deviants for control of Earth. Shooting at Pinewood from September, casting information is available in our UK Greenlit.
Legendary Soho pub to stage play
An immersive production of Keith Waterhouse’s play, Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell, is being staged at the pub where the story is set. Based on the life of the Spectator journalist in the mid-’70s, it opens at the Coach & Horses in Soho. The line “Jeffrey Bernard is unwell” often appeared in place of his article when Bernard was too intoxicated or hungover to write. Waterhouse’s one-man play was first performed in the West End at the Apollo Theatre in 1989 starring Peter O’Toole; it will here star Robert Bathurst. Directed by James Hillier, the immersive production runs for 14 performances from 7 May and includes a pub lock-in.
For more from Backstage UK, check out the magazine.