Some call
it "popcorn theatre". Others have dubbed it "box-office bait for unwary
tourists". The less jaded call it brilliant.
Hollywood stars are taking to the West End in unprecedented numbers.
In recent memory, celebrated actors Jessica Lange, Kathleen Turner,
Kevin Spacey and Nicole Kidman have all starred on the London stage.
Nicole commands upwards of $7 million per picture, yet she turned
down a flood of screen roles to star in David Hare's titillating play
The Blue Room for a mere £250 a week. "My agent went, 'You're
doing what? For how long?'" she laughs.
Money clearly isn't the motivation here. Some celebrities cross the
Atlantic to revive a flagging career. Some find London audiences more
receptive to challenging works. And others are simply fed up with
Hollywood.
Here HELLO! looks at the stars being irresistibly drawn by the lure
of the West End, and why. |
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