Theatre-On-Demand
Loosely referred to as the 'one-man shows' because they are theatrical plays written about a famous actor or performer and who may have led an intriguing life, perhaps an unusual career, its ups and downs, sometimes attaining success and notoriety against all odds. Typically, the purpose is to capture more about the person and discover the life behind the mask or public persona.
Great British Actors & Stars
There are likely to be over 20, perhaps as many as 50 legendary stars who have captivated audiences not just because of their exceptional and sometime genius talents but also because of the lives they led, how they got there and what they became. Often a rollercoaster personal life, and in some cases tragic, they nevertheless are remembered for generations, their legacy endures.
In some cases, theatrical plays about their lives and careers already exist but have yet to be televised or adapted for TV. Some others are waiting to be done, all it takes is a good writer to make a start. The televised version can either come later or be part of the creation. Here are just three legendary names who have captured the imagination of writers, dramatists, commentators, indeed the fascination of generations:
In some cases, theatrical plays about their lives and careers already exist but have yet to be televised or adapted for TV. Some others are waiting to be done, all it takes is a good writer to make a start. The televised version can either come later or be part of the creation. Here are just three legendary names who have captured the imagination of writers, dramatists, commentators, indeed the fascination of generations:
- Sir Noël Coward - an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise. Coward's plays and songs achieved new popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, and his work and style continue to influence popular culture. He did not publicly acknowledge his homosexuality, but it was discussed candidly after his death by biographers including Graham Payn, his long-time partner, and in Coward's diaries and letters, published posthumously. The former Albery Theatre in London is renamed the Noël Coward Theatre in his honour.
- Dame Elizabeth Taylor DBE - One of the all-time icons of British cinema. Born in London, she became the world's highest paid movie star in the 1960s. Despite being one of MGM's most bankable stars, Taylor wished to end her career in the early 1950s. She began receiving more enjoyable roles in the mid-1950s and later received Academy Awards. In the 1980s Taylor was one of the first celebrities to take part in HIV/AIDS activism and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation was formed in 1991. Throughout her career, Taylor's personal life constantly attracted media attention. Married eight times to seven men, she converted to Judaism, and led a jet set lifestyle, including assembling one of the most expensive private collections of jewellery in the world. After many years of ill health, Taylor died in 2011.
- Peter Sellers CBE - an English actor and comedian who first came to prominence in the BBC Radio series The Goon Show. Sellers became known to a worldwide audience through film roles, among them Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther series. Born in Southsea, he accompanied his parents in a variety act then began his film career during the 1950s. His versatility enabled him to portray a wide range of comic characters using different accents and guises, and would often assume multiple roles within the same film. Satire and black humour were major features of many of his films. Nominated many times for an Academy Awards, he also won BAFTA Awards and Golden Globe Awards. In his personal life Sellers struggled with depression and insecurities. An enigmatic figure, he often claimed to have no identity outside the roles that he played. Sellers was married four times and died in 1980, aged 54. Filmmakers described Sellers as "the greatest comic genius this country has produced since Charles Chaplin".
Stars & Actors before TV
With the successes of our other one-man shows, here are three examples of other plays we were in discussion or had bought the rights to adapt and produce for TV. Many people knew these characters by name only, and also because they attained legendary fame without TV, in other words their careers were mainly live performance and/or film, the pre-TV generation:
- Turned out Nice Again - George Formby as played by Alan Randell. Channel 4 once announced Bright Thoughts were producing this for them (along with WC Fields) but it was was not contracted. Based on the stage play about the life and career of the English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and on record he sang light, comical songs, usually playing the ukulele or banjolele, and became the UK's highest-paid entertainer at that time.
- On Your Way Riley - by Alan Plater based on the stormy partnership of Lucan and McShane aka 'Old Mother Riley', a fictional character in comedy films between 1934 and 1954. (The stage show was produced by Yorkshire TV starring Brian Murphy and Maureen Lipman.)
- Marie Lloyd - one woman stage play based on the English music hall singer, comedian and musical theatre actress remembered for songs such as 'My Old Man (Said Follow the Van)' and for her use of innuendo and double entendre. She enjoyed a long career affectionately known as the "Queen of the Music Hall".
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Curator Comments:
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The one-man shows we regarded in the early days of Bright Thoughts as the bread-and-butter for the company, we could produce a high-value one-hour TV show on a small budget and therefore a relatively quick turn-around.
There's always a few doing the rounds, either on tour, perhaps at the Edinburgh Fringe, or even just in being 'in the know' with writers agents. Whilst the live theatre version of the play may be 90 mins or more, working with the writer and often the lead artist we developed techniques so that the more biographical details would be truncated and perhaps delivered straight to camera and thereby maximising the theatrical performance elements of the show within the one-hour TV slot. Our philosophy and technique was not to give the TV audiences a reduced version of the play but to actually augment the play so that the TV audiences would get something extra that they wouldn't see in the theatre. The televised show would therefore not replace the theatre show and reduce its commercial viability. Quite the reverse, our aim was to add something extra in order to encourage people to also see the play live in theatre and thereby extend its appeal and commercial life. Techniques deployed are equally valid in 2024 because theatre-on-demand is on the increase, interest in theatrical performance is not declining, it's growing. |