#leo turner

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Confirmation that Tumblr’s gif search isn’t all it should be, but I rather like that a search for ‘alec scudder’ now includes not only

but ALSO

and, OK, ALSO the man himself

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Maurice 2018 at Above the Stag cast news round-up (such as it is)

Overdue, and as promised...

• Max Keeble (Clive Durham) is appearing in Michael McManus’s post-Brexit political dark comedy An Honourable Man at the White Bear pub theatre in Kennington, London SE11, until Sat 8 Dec 2018. There may even be tickets still available. Review here by Libby Purves, TheatreCat. Headlines: Max plays an ambitious political aide, with an impeccable Northern Irish accent, and possibly the most appalling eye-searing comedy y-fronts ever seen on stage. And all the male main characters are gay.

• Leo Turner (Alec Scudder) is doing time in the immersive production of Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution (staged inside the Council Chamber) at London’s County Hall as part of the new cast who were ‘sworn in’ on 20 Nov 2018, potentially until May 2019. The not-so-good news (for us): Leo is cast as ‘policeman/plain clothes detective’, which (it seems) may mean virtually no lines. :O There’s a bit more to this than meets the eye, however (think understudy), so we can only hope/pray that the longer plan is to make proper use of the talent and ‘strong presence’ that were so unforgettable in Maurice. (Read-through shot, above, from @witnessplayLDN’s Twitter.)

• Tom Joyner (Maurice Hall) has been snapped up by a Very Big Agent, and accordingly has some moody new promo headshots.

• No news so far of a transfer for Maurice...

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‘What are we being paid?’ — ‘I haven’t a clue.’

We have to make our own fun around here ... so here’s a few gifs of the glorious Leo Turner (Alec Scudder in Above the Stag’s Maurice) weapon-handling in a short-film trilogy which may or may not get developed into something bigger.

Video source here. This scene is (I infer) from film 2 of 3, Jonathan (2017): more info here. Films 1 (Rufus, 2016) and 3 (Zacharias, 2017) (but not 2) can currently be watched online in full here. LT plays Zacharias (sample stills here)...

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The talented Icelandic Steadicam op and cinematographer Jonas Thorhallsson has an Instagram, where he’s been sharing some of his favourite frames from the Sandmen/Sandman trilogy – three short films written/directed by Charles Scowsill, shot in 2017, for which JT was the Director of Photography.

Thorhallsson’s stunning work is RTOI for Tumblr’s Team Maurice, as the third film, Zacharias, features the talented and gorgeous Leo Turner – 2018 Alec Scudder in Maurice at Above the Stag – in the title role.

EDIT: Now with bonus second shot. Source photos here and here. Film tasters on Vimeo here & here. (Content warning: Zacharias is a hitman on a mission, or several.)

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Nominations are open for the UK’s 19th annual What’s On Stage Awards (ending 30 Nov 2018)! Everyone who loved and supports Maurice at Above the Stag and its wonderful cast, please help by voting Maurice. <333

KEY INFO:

The URL for nominations is: https://awards/whatsonstage.com [Not linked because of Tumblr’s latest nonsense]

• Nominations close on 30 Nov 2018. Members of the public can nominate our favourite production or person in each award category. The shortlist is then put to public vote from 5 Dec to 31 Jan 2019.

• You can submit a nomination – or your set of nominations across the various award categories – ONCE ONLY. (i.e. No multiple votes for the same person/production!) Full FAQs at: https://awards/whatsonstage.com/about/frequently-asked-questions/

• The award categories most relevant for Maurice nominations are:

BEST OFF-WEST-END PRODUCTION

BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY

BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY

BEST PLAY REVIVAL (IMPORTANT! Maurice is not a new play, AND some very big West End productions have already been nominated in the BEST NEW PLAY category...)

BEST DIRECTION

BEST SET DESIGN

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

STRATEGY:

The WoS awards shortlist AND winners are both decided entirely by public vote. This is a great opportunity to nominate and support the productions that matter to us – and, as everyone who was stunned by Maurice at ATS already knows, ALSO an important way for us to support the astonishing cast and deliver a message that this production needs a transfer. However, the WoS nominations and winners tend to be dominated by big West End shows and big names – and (no surprise) every show mobilises its fans for these awards.

In short, to get anywhere, Maurice and its cast need nominations from as many people as humanly possible, and please think strategically when making your nominations.

Thank you!

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‘You called and I came, sir. Everything’s going to be all right.’

E. M. Forster’s Maurice, adapted by Roger Parsley & Andy Graham, at Above the Stag Theatre, Vauxhall, London, 12 Sep – 21 Oct 2018. Leo Turner as Alec Scudder, Tom Joyner as Maurice Hall.

Source image/production stills by Gaz at PBG Studios

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WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION Celebrates A Killer First Year And Announces New Cast from 20 Nov 2018

Witness for the Prosecution this week celebrates its 1st birthday at London's County Hall. Director Lucy Bailey (Love From A Stranger, The Graduate, Titus Andronicus) thrillingly places the audience in the thick of the action in 'the comfiest seats in London' (New York Times), or observing from the Press Gallery, as Agatha Christie's gripping tale of justice, passion and betrayal unfolds around them.

@eyeslikerain Since you asked the question, dear (Does Leo Turner have any new jobs lined up following Maurice on stage, or is he waiting to see what arises, or not, out of the latter?), the answer is

YES. Yes he does.

[x] Something tells me this news will be of wider interest? :-)

Witness for the Prosecution has its own website. Lots more information there, including direct booking (with no booking fee).

The show is currently booking until Sep 2019 – so, unlike Maurice at ATS, there’s plenty of leeway (sorry) for folk to plan ahead and book on dates which suit you. You may want to bear in mind, though, that perhaps the cast aren’t tied in contractually to the whole long run if other/bigger opportunities come calling...

Update, Nov 2018: *weary sigh* I’ve not been to see this yet, but I have found (stage adaptation) character descriptions for WFTP online and ... to type ‘criminally underused’ would be an understatement:

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Dammit, I don’t know when I’ll ever be over this production (and not only me). But here are some rare curtain-call photos, kindly posted by casting directors @MillbankCasting on their Twitter early in the run (23 Sep 2018): https://twitter.com/MillbankCasting/status/1043816172448362496

Cast credits below the cut...

1, L-R: Kathryn Worth (Mrs Hall/Durham/Scudder/Ducie), Max Keeble (Clive Durham), Tom Joyner (Maurice Hall), Leo Turner (Alec Scudder), Daniel Goode (Lasker-Jones/Dr Barry).

2, Additionally, L: Tom Elliot Reade (Risley, but here in costume as a Southampton docks steward).

3, Additionally, R: Crispin Redman (Borenius, Mr Ducie, Dean Cornwallis) and Lily Knight (Anne Durham, Ada Hall).

4: When those of us who went said that the front row was VERY near the stage, we weren’t kidding. :)