1241 Earl of Oxford
“Your Excellency. Your Excellency! Jesus Christ, Lord Renly, finally, God, finally！”
The shouts of joy broke through the warm indoor air, and Renly was found surrounded by the surging crowd. Everyone's eyes shifted in unison, and then they could see Earl Richard de Vere.——
Or to be more precise, the Earl of Oxford.
The earl is well-known in London's West End circles. He has never concealed his enthusiasm and persistence for drama. His professional vision and discerning taste have also been recognized by countless industry veterans, although he has never written a drama review. , but every time a new play debuts, his opinions and judgments can often become one of the industry's trendsetters..
“When "Les Misérables" was staged at the Almeida Theater, Count Richard did not hide his love and support. He even broke the shackles of the upper class and used George Hall's matchmaking to completely ignore the "Hall family's Internal strife", just to get to know Renly.
Every year at the Olivier Awards, Earl Richard is bound to be present in person. He will always have a place in the VIP box..
At this moment, Richard completely ignored the crowd surrounding Renly, and also completely ignored the etiquette of social occasions. He simply and rudely interrupted the lively conversation, cut into the conversation unreasonably, and spoke enthusiastically and kindly. When he arrived in front of Renly, he was as excited as a star-struck girl, and his whole body was filled with joy and excitement..
This is the Earl of Oxford.
A unique figure among the aristocracy and upper class society, he goes his own way, is deviant, and bohemian. Even if he is over fifty, he is still like a naughty boy who has not grown up. He has his own place among the gossips and pointing fingers. a world.
Originally, the colleagues surrounding Renly all made room in a tacit understanding, because everyone in the industry had heard of Richard's name. They knew Richard and admired him—— A truly pure audience like Richard is what keeps them working hard and persevering.
After exchanging polite glances with Renly, his colleagues turned and left one after another..
Richard didn't seem to notice his "impolite" behavior at all. Instead, he looked at Renly repeatedly with sighs and expressed his views nonstop, "Please, tell me some good news. This first anniversary performance, You're going to be back on stage, right? I mean, Daniel is still too polished, he's a great actor, but there's a bit of spirituality missing from the performance, a lack of depth that completely undercuts John. The original intention of directing the six-hour version.”
There was no politeness, no greetings, no greetings. As soon as they met, Richard couldn't wait to get to the point and express his wishes..
Richard is now discussing the lead role in the second version of Les Misérables.
Renly laughed dumbly, "Thank you, thank you very much." He expressed his gratitude humbly and politely, "But unfortunately, I will not return to the first anniversary performance stage this time. To be precise, I am not planning to do it in a short time. Any performance, you know, the previous performance really consumed too much energy, I need to rest.”
Richard immediately showed a disappointed look, "It's a pity, it's really such a pity." After shaking his head repeatedly, he calmed down his expression and gently spread his hands, "But I understand. John's version of Jean-Aval Jean is not an easy role, and it is precisely because of this that your performance is so rare.”
The control of details and etiquette, with ease, reveal Richard's aristocratic heritage, which is ultimately different from ordinary people..
“So, what are your plans next? For example, returning to the West End stage." Richard enthusiastically launched a new topic, "It's not the media's nonsense, I mean, Shakespeare, I think you can definitely become an excellent Shakespeare actor, Carrying on the mantle of Sir Oliver.”
What Richard is talking about is that not long ago, the official website of "Us Weekly" launched a questionnaire to provide in-depth feedback on the resurgence of Broadway and the West End in the past year. The entire questionnaire covered thirty questions, including " Which actor do you most want to appear on the theater stage? "Which actor will return to the theater if the audience is willing to buy tickets?" "Which play is the most popular?" etc..
There is also a section about Renly, which mainly revolves around "Les Miserables", but the last question is：
“If Renly stood on the theater stage again, which character in the play would the audience most want to see?？”
In the questionnaire, the Phantom of the Opera successfully won the first place, receiving more than 38% of the votes..
But from the perspective of industry insiders, such voting is meaningless..
The main reason is that ordinary audiences have limited understanding of drama, and the repertoire they are familiar with has obvious limitations, including the four classic musicals such as "Les Misérables", "Phantom of the Opera", "Cats" and "Miss Saigon" Naturally, it became the first choice; in addition, familiar dramas such as "Out of My Eyes", "Turandot", "Madama Butterfly", "West Side Story", and "The Lion King" have also become priorities..
In fact, leaving aside the copyright issue, the adaptation of these plays is absolutely extremely difficult, as you can imagine by looking at "Les Miserables"; and for Renly to perform the original play, this also loses its meaning, because These plays have now lost their novelty and have gradually become tourist gathering places..
Therefore, such voting is too limited and too simple..
According to industry insiders represented by Richard, Shakespeare is the eternal classic.
Just like James McAvoy starred in "Macbeth" or Mark Lislong starred in "Twelfth Night". Every year, Shakespeare's plays are re-arranged and performed. The more classic the work, the more difficult it is to adapt it. The bigger it becomes, it will be a serious challenge for any director and actor.
It is precisely because of this that Renly's interpretation is even more worth looking forward to.
Without waiting for Renly to respond, Richard couldn't help but expressed his opinion, "Hamlet, do you think the challenge is too difficult? But I personally think that if you perform Hamlet, it will be very exciting!" Last year, John Codd arranged a new version of Hamlet. I wonder if he still has the creativity and inspiration to arrange it again..”
Faced with such an enthusiastic Richard, even Renly was a little overwhelmed. "Maybe..." he said with a smile, "but not now." The simple words were decisive and there was no room for maneuver, and those bright eyes were even more so. Shining with non-negotiable perseverance.
Richard, who was forgetful, also felt this powerful will. The words rolled in his throat for a moment, and his expression and eyes dimmed..
Just when everyone thought Richard would be furious, as an earl, Richard was the one with the right to speak in any situation. Not to mention direct confrontation, flattery was also common - the original George Howe That's it for you; now, even if Richard walks away in anger, no one will dare to stop him.
However, Richard lowered his head and shook his head repeatedly, "It's a pity. It's really such a pity. Although I can understand your situation and situation, but... As a true lover of drama, I still hope that you can be here as soon as possible." Back on the West End stage. This is the real actor. Those Hollywood movies are just child's play..”
He expressed his regret sincerely. Rather than despising Hollywood, it is better to say that he enthusiastically supports the West End..
Renly couldn't help but laugh at this sincerity..
Richard raised the pipe in his right hand and took two sharp puffs. He seemed to be venting his emotions. His face was full of loneliness and disappointment, like a little boy who had lost his beloved toy. Finally, he let out a long breath. , raised his eyes again and looked at Renly expectantly, "I hope your vacation won't be too long. This will be a loss to the audience..”
“It's my pleasure." That kind of pure and straightforward affection made Renly flattered..
For Renly, it seems to have become the norm now, with praises from all over the world pouring in, but even so, every time he truly feels the joy and support from the audience, he can still feel the butterflies in his chest. The lightness of flying wings. He will not take all this for granted. Only by giving, can there be rewards; only by hard work, can there be gains..
Richard gently nodded his head and gave a polite response, as if to say, "It is also an honor for me to be able to express my inner appreciation.”.
Then, Richard's eyes lit up slightly, as if he remembered something important, "By the way, in order to commemorate the first anniversary of the Almeida Theater version of 'Les Misérables', I held a small party at my home this weekend. Party. Now that you're back in London, I'd be remiss if I didn't send out an invitation..”
He is indeed a drama addict.
“If I have the chance, I will definitely attend." Renly expressed his politeness politely..
Richard showed a meaningful smile, seeming to have seen through Renly's "official answer", but he did not reveal it in his words, but further added, "This is a private party, and I only invite those who are truly interested in drama." By the way, I also invited Cameron Mackintosh and several outstanding actors from the Queen's Theater version.”
There is a message revealed inside and outside the words: he is sincere..
Renly opened his mouth slightly, but before he could answer, Richard continued, "Are you still living in Notting Hill?" Every time Renly settled in Matthew Dunlop's private residence, this was also early in London. It was no secret. After receiving a positive reply, Richard nodded in agreement, "I will send the invitation letter.".”
Then, without waiting for Renly's answer, Richard turned and left..
Come and go in a hurry. The initiative is always in the hands of Richard. Of course, Renly is not at a disadvantage. But it can still be felt that Richard is indeed an outlier among the nobles..
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