3 July: A Bunch of Amateurs

I thought we should have a bit of fun, so I do hope that this proves to be funny - it should be for anyone vaguely connected with 'Am Dram'!

A Bunch of Amateurs is a 2008 play written by Ian Hislop, of Private Eye and Have I Got News for You fame, and Nick Newman who has written for several satirical magazines and television and radio programmes.

Unfortunately, and despite an all star cast, according to Wikipedia, the film was universally panned by both critics and audiences alike.  However I have managed to find a couple of good reviews!  And the critics are not always right - are they!

"Terrific comedy packed with killer comic dialogue... plenty of twists and turns."

WhatsOnStage

"Deliciously stuffed with Shakespeare... a laugh-a-minute."

Mail on Sunday

A Bunch of Amateurs

Keen to boost his flagging career, fading Hollywood action hero Jefferson Steele arrives in England to play King Lear in Stratford – only to find that this is not the birthplace of the Bard, but a sleepy Suffolk village. And instead of Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi Dench, the cast are a bunch of amateurs trying to save their theatre from developers. Jefferson’s monstrous ego, vanity and insecurity are tested to the limit by the enthusiastic am-dram thespians. As acting worlds collide and Jefferson’s career implodes, he discovers some truths about himself – along with his inner Lear!

Characters

JEFFERSON STEELE - A fading Hollywood star who is arrogant, insecure, brash, gauche, demanding, vulnerable and ultimately aware of his own absurdity.  (Burt Reynolds)

DOROTHY NETTLE - Director of the Stratford Players and the moving force behind keeping the theatre alive. Her sweet and accommodating manner conceals her inner steel. (Samantha Bond)

JESSICA STEELE - Jefferson's teenage daughter, who has been neglected by her Hollywood star father and now wants to make him pay for it.

NIGEL DEWBURY - Solicitor and leading light of the Stratford Players. Pompous, stuck-up and self-regarding, he believes he is the star of the show, and should play all the leading roles. He also fancies his romantic chances with Dorothy. (Derek Jacobi)

MARY PLUNKETT - Owner of the Rectory bed and breakfast. Jolly, generous and an unashamedly adoring Jefferson Steele fan -- although somewhat confused about which roles he played in his films, and how keen he is on her. (Imelda Staunton)

DENIS DOBBINS - Handyman and village Mr. Fixit. Avuncular though slightly dull, Denis is star-struck by Jefferson and fancies heading up his entourage of one.

LAUREN BELL - Thirty-something marketing executive former physiotherapist and the sponsor's wife. Passionate about the arts and smarter than her husband allows her to be, she's treated as a bimbo because of her looks.

The Film

Nick Newman & Ian Hislop