RIP Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Lovely tribute from James Corden in today's Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/20...s-corden-rizzo

Many thanks for this, jean.

[Anna]

I think the carrot infinitely more fascinating than the geranium. The carrot has mystery. Flowers are essentially tarts. Prostitutes for the bees.

And here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmLlWEOm1f0 You can skip the annoying ad at the beginning!

[Thropplenoggin]

And here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmLlWEOm1f0 You can skip the annoying ad at the beginning!

<insert laughing and crying emoticon here>

[Ferretfancy]

I'm sorry, but in my message 8, I incorrectly gave the name The Twentieth Century Limited for a play in which Richard Griffiths appeared, the actual title of the RSC production was Once in a Lifetime. There was an earlier film with the first title, and that's how it confused me. The 20th C Limited was, of course, the train which carried young hopefuls to Hollywood.

[Stillhomewardbound]

FF, I saw this production, but I'm ashamed to say I recall so little of it. Yes, it was hilariously funny, but still I can't recall too much. Huge hit for the RSC, then.

I noticed your confusion re: the title. I'm sure you were thinking of the musical "On The Twentieth Century" which played about the same time and was led, methinks, by Anton Rodgers and Juliet McKenzie.

On another related matter ... I am furious about the lead that the Daily Telegraph gave to their obituary on RG. It read ...

"Actor celebrated for playing fat gay men who was married ...!"

I don't think I'm being over sensitive but what an utterly crass manner in which to pigeonhole, not to say, belittle, such a rich and varied career; and as for the caveat, 'but was married'. Somehow, it is so gauche a sentence as makes one check one's calendar to see that we're not back in the pre-Woolfenden days.

Is the Telegraph seeking to pick up on stray Sun readers, by any chance?.

[amateur51]

My abiding memories of Richard Griffiths will be two performances which contained stretches where he appeared to be making the lines up, in other words it was as though the character lived on the stage at that moment.

The first time I experienced this with Richard Griffiths was in a production in the 1980s of Brecht's Life of Galileo at London's Almeida Theatre. He made Galileo's speeches live in the moment and I was certain I would never see the like again.

However, in the film of Alan Bennett's The History Boys, Richard Griffith's pulled off this coup again as Hector in the scene with Posner about the poem 'Gunner Hodge' by Hardy where he is trying to explain why reading is important to him and should become so to Posner. I experienced Griffith's creation of this moment of rare intimacy between a teacher and his student as being quite heartbreaking.

These are inevitably very personal reactions and I apologise to others who find them nonsense




Richard Griffiths - thank you

[Stillhomewardbound]

I see no remote need to apologise. Isn't that what the very essence of the role of an actor is? Taking a character off the pages of a script and making him a living thing, either on a stage, or in front of a camera.

The Galileo is also recalled by David Hare

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2013/mar/29/richard-griffiths-david-hare?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

[Anna]

I'll put this on here whilst I remember rather than nearer the date.
Thursday 9th, BBC4 9.00 are showing The History Boys
Edit: As Pie in the Sky has been mentioned:- I notice that ITV3 are showing it every day this week at 3.00pm.