Latest news with #Equus
The Herald Scotland
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Theatre agent whose family ran the ‘Harrods of the Highlands' dies
Died: April 16, 2025 Patricia Macnaughton, who has died aged 96, was one of the leading figures in the west end of London firstly as an agent for actors then for directors and designers. Later she also produced plays and musicals and was the person who originally saw the musical Les Miserable in Paris and with Sir Cameron Macintosh brought the show to London and ensured it was a hugely successful musical and film. But Macnaughton remained a proud and fervent Scot. Her birthplace in Pitlochry remained a central part of her life and she often returned to visit family or for professional reasons; one of her first clients, Frank Dunlop, was director of the festival from 1984-91. The family ran Macnaughton Holdings which dated from 1783 and in 1856 they opened their shop A & J Macnaughton in Pitlochry high street. It became known as 'the Harrods of the Highlands' and still stands there in a prominent position. Over the years the shop has gained a reputation for selling a vast array of tartans and high-quality woollen goods. Her upbringing in Pitlochry created a love of the traditions, countryside and people of the Highlands. She always supported many Scottish institutions from sporting and arts events to being a member of St Columba's Church of Scotland in London. Patricia Jean Macnaughton, the second child of Allan Macnaughton and Jean Baxter-Tyrie, was born in Pitlochry and attended Cheltenham Ladies College. This entailed long journeys from Pitlochry south during the war by train which were challenging and tiresome. She then gained a place at Edinburgh University to study medicine. However, her parents were involved in a high-profile divorce in the Edinburgh courts which resulted in Macnaughton having to give up her medical studies and going to London where she found work as a temp in a London theatrical agency, Christopher Mann Associates. Her agile mind and exacting negotiating skills soon made their mark. Read more In 1955 Macnaughton moved to Paris and signed up for a course to learn French at the Sorbonne, despite having little knowledge of the language. She spent five years in Paris, much enjoying the city's social life, and gained an excellent command of the language which was to prove a major asset in her career back in London. She rejoined the agency and when she became a partner its name became MLR, one of the most respected in the West End. She managed many leading actors but in the 1970s she concentrated on managing directors, designers and, especially, writers. Of the latter Peter Schaffer was the most eminent. The revival of Equus with William Radcliffe in 2005 both in London and New York proved hugely successful as did other of his plays such as Amadeus and Lettice and Lovage. But Macnaughton soon demonstrated her tenacity and sheer ability to keep a major project bubbling on a front burner. She had seen the musical Les Miserable while visiting her clients, Jean-Louis Barrault and Madeleine Renaud, in Paris. Immediately she recognised its potential and sold the idea to a major Broadway producer, who then withdrew. After much negotiations she got involved with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Sir Cameron Macintosh as backers. She realised the show she saw in Paris had to be radically altered and proceeded to play a pivotal role in turning Les Mis into a smash hit. The journalist Herbert Kretzmer joined the Les Miserables team and the English lyrics greatly added to the show's drama and resulted in such thrilling numbers as I Dreamed a Dream, Do You Hear the People Sing? and Bring Him Home. Macnaughton once commented, 'Herbert doesn't do straight translations. He recreates.' Macnaughton and Macintosh became firm friends and she served as a trustee of the Cameron MacIntosh Foundation which has greatly assisted both theatre and non-theatrical charities. She also served as chairman of the Tricycle Theatre the fringe theatre in north London. Her great friend the South African satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys often performed there and toured the UK. His play Paradise is Closing Down visited the Edinburgh Festival in 1979. But it was her life-long love of Scotland that was a central to Macnaughton's life. Never over jingoistic but a proud and genuine loyalty. She delighted in attending first nights in her Macnaughton tartan dress and celebrated Hogmanay joyously. Her daughter Annabel recalls, the annual drive north for summer holidays were a tradition on their own. 'Mum at the wheel and after a lunch stop to buy mutton pies and Tennent's lager somewhere around Berwick there was a mandatory rendition of The Skye Boat Song as we crossed the bridge at Berwick. The cats and dogs wore tartan scarves. Mum sang full out in her throaty, tenor voice.' Macnaughton was a real character: a canny and careful lady who thought through complex contractual problems and then made an informed decision and stuck by it. She had a glorious all-embracing personality that reflected her enthusiastic nature. She married Peter Lord, who had a successful career in the City, in 1965. He predeceased her and she is survived by their son and daughter and four grandchildren. ALASDAIR STEVEN At The Herald, we carry obituaries of notable people from the worlds of business, politics, arts and sport but sometimes we miss people who have led extraordinary lives. That's where you come in. If you know someone who deserves an obituary, please consider telling us about their lives. Contact
Evening Standard
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
House of Games at Hampstead Theatre review: an efficient, tense piece of work that never quite sings
Both film and play rely on multiple plot twists and shifts of perception over who is exploiting whom, and on the idea of an upstanding figure energised by a walk on the wild side (see also Henry IV, Equus, 50 Shades). The film seemed arch and stagey back in the day but this does not make it a natural fit for the theatre, where the audience is more complicit in the suspension of disbelief.
Sky News AU
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Mile-high clubs, OnlyFans accounts and a cannabis farm: Harry Potter cast's scandalous secrets revealed ahead of controversial new HBO series
As the new Harry Potter TV series goes into production, the scandalous new careers and criminal misdemeanors of stars from the original hit film franchise can now be revealed. Last week several of the main cast of the eagerly awaited rebooted Harry Potter series on HBO were revealed, with John Lithgow set to play Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape. However it was the original cinematic phenomenon, beginning with 2001's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, that kickstarted the careers of many childhood stars who went on to Hollywood fame and glory. Yet many others went down a very different path, from creating fetish OnlyFans videos, growing cannabis and posing naked for Playboy, among many other scandals. Daniel Radcliffe Outside of acting, the star of the iconic film series has previously spoken out about his alcoholism and said he used booze to cope with a celebrity lifestyle. Daniel told Hearst magazines: 'I went into work still drunk, but I never drank at work. I can point to many scenes where I'm just gone. Dead behind the eyes.' He has been sober since 2010. When he was 17, Daniel stripped naked for his role in London's West End play Equus and sparked a fan frenzy. His character also had to perform grotesque crimes against horses during the play. Recently, he landed himself in a feud with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling after speaking out about her stance on gender identity in 2020. Scarlett Byrne (Hefner) Hefner played Slytherin student Pansy Parkinson in the Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2. The star previously posed in nude pics for Playboy, appearing on the front cover for the March/April 2017 publication. She has gone on record to say she was grateful to have the opportunity to be on the cover and captioned her Instagram post #NakedIsNormal. She then married Hugh Hefner's son, Cooper, in 2019 and shares twins with the nepo baby. Ralph Fiennes Fiennes' played Voldemort in Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, and The Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2. He landed himself in hot water in 2007, with the Oscar winner allegedly having sex with flight attendant Lisa Robertson on a Qantas flight from Darwin to Mumbai. Ms Robertson told The Age at the time she regretted her actions and 'wouldn't have opened my mouth' if she had her time over. "But when it comes to sex, the community acts in all different, weird ways. "It's just so complicated and it makes me angry, all the hypocrisy." Feinnes' publicist at the time called Robertson " the sexual aggressor" in the incident. Ralph's love life had a history of twists and turns with him leaving his first wife Alex Kingston for actress Francesca Annis, in 1997. After 11 years he also split with Francesca, following rumours he had an affair with Romanian singer Cornelia Crisan. Jamie Waylett Waylett played Hogwarts bully Vincent Crabbe and Draco Malfoy's buddy from 2001 to 2009 in six Harry Potter films. He was controversially cut from two final instalments after he was pulled over by police where a knife was discovered, along with eight bags of cocaine, in April 2009. The actor was arrested which led to search of his property, where authorities found he had been growing cannabis plants worth around £2,000 ($4,100AUD) in his family home. He was later sentenced to jail for two years over another incident in which he was pictured holding a petrol bomb and swigging from a stolen bottle of champagne at a London riot. Nowadays, Waylett describes himself as a 'rapper' and makes personalised video messages on Cameo. Jessie Cave Cave played Lavender Brow, a pure-blood Gryffindor witch in the Harry Potter films. She revealed earlier this year she launched an OnlyFans account to 'get out of debt'. Cave said she would not offer sexual content but rather appeal to an audience who is into hair fetishes with 'the best quality hair sounds' and 'sensual' hair videos. She said: 'It's a fetish. Fetish doesn't necessarily mean sexual'. Josh Herdman Herdman played Gregory Goyle throughout the film series. In 2020, he was allegedly caught on CCTV camera vandalising a pub in Scotland on a night out with Slytherin buddy Jamie Waylett. Meanwhile, back in 2016 he kick started his MMA fighting career, following five years of jujitsu training. Nicholas Read Read played a goblin in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone . He was arrested in 2011 after indecently exposing himself to a teenager on a train. According to the BBC, he was found guilty of performing a sex act under the cover of a juggler's hat in October 2010, while sitting next to a 17-year-old girl who said she felt trapped. Devon Murray Murray played Seamus Finnigan as an Irish half-blood wizard. He and his parents were sued by his former agency as the actor allegedly owed commission fees of more than £230,000 ($A477,000) in 2016. He was ultimately ordered to pay Neil Brooks £210,000 ($A436,000). 'It's amazing how one man can destroy mine and my parent's life so easily. Never been as mad, crazy, scared in all my life,' Murray tweeted at the time. In the court case, his mum said Murray had blown almost a million dollars after he'd 'gone out drinking, taken out girls and bought cars, because that is what teenage boys do.'
The Citizen
23-04-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Snaith chooses Guineas for Met champ Eight On Eighteen
All the stars out early in KZN season. The winter racing season in KwaZulu-Natal is set for a rousing start at Greyville on the first Saturday of May, with early entries for Guineas day pitching most of the country's best racehorses into action. Gimme A Prince, South Africa's top-rated horse, tops the list for the Drill Hall Stakes, a storied race that's always been closely linked to thinking about the country's premier contest, the Hollywoodbets Durban July. Unfortunately for trainer Dean Kannemeyer, Gimme A Prince has drawn wide at 19 and racing fans will have to wait and see if the brilliant gelding stands his ground for the Grade 2, 1400m contest. Put up against him are a phalanx of big names: Equus Horse of the Year Dave The King; smart Cape Town sprinter Café Culture; Joburg raiders Main Defender, Cousin Casey and Barbaresco; local heroes See It Again and Gladatorian … and plenty more. Three-year-old Eight On Eighteen, winner of this year's Cape Town Met and Cape Derby, is among the Drill Hall nominations, but his trainer Justin Snaith has already accepted for the colt to run in the WSB Guineas on the same card. Both races are Grade 2s carrying R750,000 purses, but the Guineas is over 1600m, which better suits the youngster at this stage. Snaith's Drill Hall combatants will be Royal Aussie and Great Plains, both of whom could end up in the July line-up. The champion trainer's back-up to Eight On Eighteen in the Guineas is the improving Sail The Seas, who we're likely to hear a lot more about in the coming months. The main threat to the Snaith pair in the Guineas will come from a trio of Highveld visitors: Sean Tarry-trained Cosmic Speed and Legend Of Arthur, and Alec Laird's Fire Attack. ENTRIES [draw, name, (age&sex), weight, MR, equipment, trainer] Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes 19 Gimme A Prince (6G) 60 134 A Dean Kannemeyer 16 Dave The King (5G) 60 128 A Mike / Mathew de Kock 24 Purple Pitcher (4C) 60 123 BA Robyn Klaasen 21 Main Defender (4G) 58.5 130 A Tony Peter 1 Cafe Culture (5G) 58.5 128 A Lucinda Woodruff 3 Royal Aussie (5G) 58.5 124 BA Justin Snaith 27 Outlaw King (4G) 58.5 110 A Dean Kannemeyer 5 Eight On Eighteen (3C) 58 127 A Justin Snaith 13 Cosmic Speed (3G) 58 125 A Sean Tarry 14 Montien (5G) 57 129 A Piet Botha 2 See It Again (5G) 57 127 A Michael Roberts 26 Cousin Casey (5H) 57 125 A Sean Tarry 8 Barbaresco (4G) 57 124 ATe J A Janse van Vuuren 10 Questioning (4G) 57 124 BA Vaughan Marshall 6 Gladatorian (5G) 57 123 AT Stuart Ferrie 25 The Real Prince (4G) 57 118 A Dean Kannemeyer 15 Texas Red (5G) 57 115 A Robyn Klaasen 18 Anfields Rocket (5G) 57 113 A Trevor Brown 20 Diani (5G) 57 103 A Dennis Bosch 11 Cats Pajamas (3G) 56.5 115 A Frank Robinson 9 Red Palace (4F) 56 119 A Dean Kannemeyer 23 White Pearl (4F) 56 114 A Mike / Mathew de Kock 17 Winds Of Change (3C) 55 121 AT M G Azzie/A A Azzie 4 Great Plains (3G) 55 112 A Justin Snaith 22 Sail The Seas (3C) 55 112 A Justin Snaith 7 Oxalis Gold (3F) 52.5 107 A Mike / Mathew de Kock 12 Khethiwe's Destiny (3F) 52.5 100 A Mike / Mathew de Kock WSB Guineas 11 Eight On Eighteen (3C) 60 127 A Justin Snaith 10 Fire Attack (3C) 60 126 A Alec Laird 8 Cosmic Speed (3G) 60 125 A Sean Tarry 12 Legend Of Arthur (3C) 60 117 HA Sean Tarry 18 Cats Pajamas (3G) 60 115 A Frank Robinson 4 Great Plains (3G) 60 112 A Justin Snaith 6 Sail The Seas (3C) 60 112 A Justin Snaith 9 Musical Score (3G) 60 108 A Lucky Houdalakis 14 On My Honour (3G) 60 108 A Glen Kotzen 15 Royal Force (3G) 60 104 A Lucky Houdalakis 17 Field Marshal (3G) 60 102 A Frank Robinson 13 Legal Counsel (3G) 60 98 A Justin Snaith 7 Zeitz (3C) 60 97 BA Andre Nel 1 Jp's Palace (3G) 60 91 A Darryl Moore 3 Dance King (3G) 60 89 A Weichong Marwing 16 World Of Our Own (3G) 60 86 A Alyson Wright 2 Vj's Angel (3F) 57.5 119 A Tony Peter 5 Give Me Everything (3F) 57.5 103 A Dean Kannemeyer 19 Frozen Fantasy (3F) 57.5 99 A Robyn Klaasen WSB Fillies Guineas 19 Spumante Dolce (3F) 60 119 AT Mike / Mathew de Kock 2 Vj's Angel (3F) 60 119 A Tony Peter 16 Scarlet Macaw (3F) 60 110 A Candice Bass-Robinson 3 Mon Petit Cherie (3F) 60 108 A BJ Crawford/JI Crawford 23 Little Suzie (3F) 60 107 A Justin Snaith 14 Oxalis Gold (3F) 60 107 A Mike / Mathew de Kock 15 Be Merry (3F) 60 104 A Justin Snaith 22 Green Sapphire (3F) 60 104 A Sean Tarry 24 Give Me Everything (3F) 60 103 A Dean Kannemeyer 17 Gimmefabulous (3F) 60 102 HA e M G Azzie/A A Azzie 7 Miss Scaletta (3F) 60 102 A Paul Matchett 5 Khethiwe's Destiny (3F) 60 100 A Mike / Mathew de Kock 9 Regeneration (3F) 60 100 A e Robbie Hill 10 Frozen Fantasy (3F) 60 99 A Robyn Klaasen 6 Jeanne Darc (3F) 60 99 A Stuart Ferrie 21 Lock And Key (3F) 60 98 A Glen Kotzen 1 Too Late My Mate (3F) 60 97 A Alec Laird 11 Magical View (3F) 60 96 AT Michael Miller 8 Mocha Blend (3F) 60 94 A Frank Robinson 4 Disting (3F) 60 92 BATe Glen Kotzen 13 Blind Ambition (3F) 60 91 BA Brett Webber 20 Goodnessgraciousme (3F) 60 91 A Justin Snaith 12 Two G's (3F) 60 89 A Gareth van Zyl 25 Glamorous Lady (3F) 60 85 A Weichong Marwing 18 One Path (3F) 60 79 A Frank Robinson
The Guardian
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The play that changed my life: ‘Equus led me to train as a psychotherapist'
Psychotherapy is about storytelling, about roles that we assume, the veil between our truth and our invention. But for me, as a therapist, it is always a piece of theatre – a series of roles and characters that are played out. In 1986, I was just coming up to 14 with no thoughts of such things. Until I found acting I had lived quite an isolated, secluded little life, but theatre suddenly gave me opportunities to try on different lives – a bit like Mr Benn, really. And I felt as if I could take on the world. The drama department at my school was quite progressive and decided to put on Equus by Peter Shaffer, a deeply traumatic story about sexual fantasy. It is about the relationship between a psychiatrist, Dr Dysart, and a teenage boy, Alan Strang, and their wrestling over Alan's dangerous passion for horses and for God, which have become entangled in a way that leads him to acts of appalling violence. I was cast as Alan and it was pretty extreme. I remember rehearsing a scene in which he goes deeply into the beauty of the horses and the pleasure he derives from them. There was a kind of explosion, a firework display in my mind. I remember just breaking down and sobbing uncontrollably. But it left me wanting more theatre and I went on to drama school and ended up in the West End in roles including Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. I thought that would be my for ever. But in the end, after a stream of physical and psychological ill health, l felt quite ruptured by theatre. I needed to go and repair, to recover and heal. Dysart questions what the difference is between a psychological breakdown and a spiritual emergency. That came to be a compelling reason for me to train as a psychotherapist. It was also a foundation of my wanting to challenge the conventional model of therapy. That model no longer serves us. I think the play is really about what I call 'descent'. My book As the Kite Falls is about how to allow people to descend, as I did after being diagnosed with cancer expected to be terminal. Most of the time we are fixated on ascent. On betterment, improvement, advancing our lives. It is Dysart's conundrum that traditional therapy does not allow people to descend because there is a fear of what happens if we take that risk. That's what my book is about: how we can help people go through these crises. My disease is incurable but I'm in remission still and I do have some agency. The problem with mantle cell lymphoma is that it has high chances of relapse even after a stem cell transplant. But the prognosis was different a few years ago. They would have said three to five years but the odds are better now. I have a chance to rewrite it rather than attempt to swerve it. As a Kite Falls by Richard Tyler is published by Karnac.
