Jenny Agutter

[Fellwanderer]

It has just been announced that Desperados has been renamed The Invisibles and transmission of the six 60 minute episodes will begin on BBC1 in Week 18 [April 26-May 2].

There is a link to the dedicated website [not yet open] on Jenny's News page:

Jenny Agutter: News Page

[Fellwanderer]

Jenny is appearing at the Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, North Yorkshire on Thursday 17 April in Jane Austen's World - an evening of music and prose.

Still no announcement on The Invisibles but I'm betting on 9pm, Thursday, 1 May.

[PS68060]

I hadn't looked at the site for ages so was delighted to see that yesterday. Warren Clarke is excellent.

BBC - Press Office - Desperados, a new comedy drama series for BBC One

[Number2]

Anybody know if Jenny will be reprising her Hesther role in Equus on Broadway?
Daniel Radcliff and Richard Griffiths will be in New York, September 2008, it was announced a few weeks ago.

[Number2]

I got a hold of a copy of Measure for Measure - Workshop 1 (1984) with Jenny Agutter portraying an actress steadily improving her performance under the direction of director John Russell Brown. Jenny was plainly pretty (in a Ruth from Spooks kind of way). This is an Open University program to teach acting so to have Jenny in it is quite a treat and a bit better than the usual fare.

The acting at the beginning is stiff and has Jenny's signature sharp look down and away so much that its distracting but towards the end she makes fuller eye contact with the other actors. This could have been better if the actors had truely ad-libbed some rather than the fully scripted training program it appears to be.

[Fellwanderer]

Originally Posted by Number2 Anybody know if Jenny will be reprising her Hesther role in Equus on Broadway? Daniel Radcliff and Richard Griffiths will be in New York, September 2008, it was announced a few weeks ago.

Although one can never say never, I think it is extremely unlikely that she would. If I recall correctly, one reason for accepting the role at the Gielgud was that is was a relatively short run and finished early enough for her to have no problems returning home each night.

[Fellwanderer]

Originally Posted by PS68060 I hadn't looked at the site for ages so was delighted to see that yesterday. Warren Clarke is excellent. BBC - Press Office - Desperados, a new comedy drama series for BBC One

Just been released - and my guess was right - The Invisibles begins transmission on BB1, Thursday, 1 May, 9.00pm

[Fellwanderer]

Well, I had a great time before, during and after the performance.

Jenny joined us in the pub next door before the performance and in the bar afterwards.

I couldn't have had a better seat for the performance itself as the only person closer to Jenny than me was Mrs Fell - Jenny was barely a couple of feet from me for the entire performance.

The Jane Austen reading when visitors to my home town are castigated for wasting their time going there was used for the encore - and I received a dazzling smile from Jenny when she stood up to read it.

There was another member of BritMovie forum there.

[Fellwanderer]

Originally Posted by Fellwanderer Just been released - and my guess was right - The Invisibles begins transmission on BB1, Thursday, 1 May, 9.00pm

And The Invisibles website has just opened on a new url!

BBC - Drama - The Invisibles

[Number2]

What is the story behind Jenny appearing on the Prefab Sprout song?
Was it recorded for the song or sampled from somewhere else? Seems they could have put the opportunity to better use.

Jenny also quietly sings "Willow" in Othello (1981). She's not belting out a showtune but its OK.

Anybody know of other singing in Jenny's films/TV shows?

Originally Posted by Fellwanderer Not that I'm aware of - but what a vocal! Jenny does claim not to be able to sing. Interesting fact, for me, is that of all the groups in the world, Jenny agreed to provide the backing to the only group from my part of NW Durham that made it big. Also, at least 2 of PS attended the school my daughter used to go to for her orchestra practise.

[Fellwanderer]

Originally Posted by Number2 What is the story behind Jenny appearing on the Prefab Sprout song?

Don't know, but I'll try to find out.

Was it recorded for the song or sampled from somewhere else? Seems they could have put the opportunity to better use.

I'm pretty sure it was recorded for the song.

Jenny also quietly sings "Willow" in Othello (1981). She's not belting out a showtune but its OK. Anybody know of other singing in Jenny's films/TV shows?

She also sings a duet with her sister-in-law [?] in China 9, Liberty 37 and I'm sure I've heard her elsewhere - unless I'm thinking of Othello.

[PS68060]

Well late on Sunday I got back from an extended weekend that allowed me to get to Richmond for "Jane Austen's World".

Richmond is a really pretty town and worth a visit if you are in that part of the country. I arrived at the theatre early to collect my ticket and bumped into Fell, his wife and another friend of Jenny's.

Jenny then appeared and we paid a short visit to the pub next door for an OJ and some food. Jenny borrowed my umbrella to get to and from the theatre (I might never use it again )

The theatre is small and intimate, they have tried to avoid modernising it, the only concessions seems to have been some padding on the small pews and the building extension that houses the bars.

The performances were excellent and in a very appropriate setting, consisting of short, themed, often amusing, passages from 18th century literature (mostly Jane Austen) read by JA, intertwined with music on the piano (Diana Ambache) and core anglais (Jeremy Polmear).

Afterwards most people left straight away but the performers appeared in the bar a little while later. I didn't get much chance to chat with Jenny but it was nice to meet her again (previously at a very busy autograph signing).

It was a really good evening, a little surreal at times, you just don't ever expect a "star of film and theatre" to be offering you some of her chips.

[Fellwanderer]

Glad you enjoyed it - needless to say, I did!

Sharing chips with Jenny beforehand was certainly an unusual treat.

I could hardly believe my good fortune when we went to our seats and I saw the oboe on its stand on the far side of the stage as I knew it meant Jenny would be sitting right beside us!

Certainly was a cosy little theatre. I still find it hard to believe it actually seats around 200.

[PS68060]

200! I would have guessed about 100.

You didn't have the amusement factor of the narrow benches upstairs. There wasn't any room in front of your knees so if anyone wanted to get past to get to their seats, everyone had to file out and back in again. Not so bad at first but as the theatre filled up there was little space to stand.

Part of the education in Georgian manners I expect ;-)

[Fellwanderer]

Originally Posted by PS68060 200! I would have guessed about 100. You didn't have the amusement factor of the narrow benches upstairs. There wasn't any room in front of your knees so if anyone wanted to get past to get to their seats, everyone had to file out and back in again. Not so bad at first but as the theatre filled up there was little space to stand. Part of the education in Georgian manners I expect ;-)

214 seats according to the theatre's website. I'd reckoned on about 130-140 in the boxes and pit, with 60+ upstairs. Certainly very cosy - especially from where I was sitting