Stage career with theatre programmes, images, reviews and quotes.
Scans kindly provided by Powerjen from her private collection of theatre programmes; additional scans provided by Alex. Images' copyrights belong to their authors.
Corrections/additions? Contact Alex.
NATIONAL THEATRE - 50 YEARS ON STAGE
George Jones MP / 'The Absence of War' - National Theatre - 2013
By David Hare
NT page - programme [pdf] - BBC Two info & site - bts video one - two [youtube]
100 actors performed on stage to celebrate the National Theatre's 50th anniversary. Broadcast live on BBC Two and in select cinemas abroad. Available on DVD.
Scans kindly provided by Powerjen from her private collection of theatre programmes; additional scans provided by Alex. Images' copyrights belong to their authors.
Corrections/additions? Contact Alex.
NATIONAL THEATRE - 50 YEARS ON STAGE
George Jones MP / 'The Absence of War' - National Theatre - 2013
By David Hare
NT page - programme [pdf] - BBC Two info & site - bts video one - two [youtube]
100 actors performed on stage to celebrate the National Theatre's 50th anniversary. Broadcast live on BBC Two and in select cinemas abroad. Available on DVD.
CE also appeared, uncredited, in the ensemble for 'The Mysteries' (3rd photo).
NOW THAT YOU'VE DIED
Narrator - The Roundhouse, London - 2013
By Patrick Ness - Dir. Hector Harkness and Kate Hargreaves
Read for RNIB Day's interactive one-off theatre event, drawing attention to lack of books for the blind and partially sighted.
The tale invites guests to question their expectations of story-telling whilst experiencing a unique sensory experience without using their vision. The use of sound to create an immersive narrative ensures that the performance is genuinely inclusive and enlightening.More info and audio here on the blog.
Support RNIB.
ANTIGONE
Creon - National Theatre - 2012
By Sophocles, in a version by Don Taylor - Dir. Polly Findlay
Desperate to gain control over a city ravaged by civil war, Creon refuses to bury the body of Antigone's rebellious brother. Outraged, she defies his edict. Creon condemns the young woman, his niece, to be buried alive.More here on the blog.
[wip]
National Theatre Studio - 2011
By Fiona Laird
New play readings (to help develop it). CE reads the lead.
IN THE BEGINNING
Narrator - Bush Theatre - 2011
By Nick Payne - Dir. Josie Rourke, Christopher Haydon
BT site's page
One-off event - ambulatory performance at Westminster Abbey, commemorating the translation of King James' Bible. More here on the blog.
BEYOND THE FRONT LINE
Narrator - Slung Low - 2009
By Joel Horwood, John Hunter, Chris Thorpe and Matthew David Scott - Dir. Alan Lane
Outdoor promenade show, dedicated to soldiers. A collaboration between Slung Low, Salford University. The Imperial War Museum (North) and The Lowry. CE provided the recorded narrations in the last part, Bed Monologues (source):
From the pillow of each hospital bed came an individual monologue; an imagined person's story sketched briefly and without emotion. In 9 lines. Each one performed vocally by the same actor.Overview video for the show includes an example of CE's narrations.
A nine liner in army parlance is the medical evacuation form: nine lines of information given to the evacuation team to assist medical treatment. [...] Written by Matthew David Scott
A DOLL'S HOUSE
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Neil Kelman - Donmar Warehouse - 2009
By Henrik Ibsen [in a version by Zinnie Harris] - Dir. Kfir Yefet
For all resources here on the blog see this post.
ROMEO AND JULIET: A QUESTION OF CHOICE
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Narrator - The Lowry - 2006
By William Shakespeare [in a version by 'C.P.'] - Dir. Caroline Clegg
'Celebrity Pig' is a learning disabled people theatre. One of the actors, Dorothy Cockin, played Eccleston character's mother in the film 'Flesh and Blood'. Subsequently he became the patron of the theatre group and had guest roles in their performances.
ROAD
Royal Court Theatre - 2006
By Jim Cartwright - Dir. Simon Curtis
RCT page
Rehearsed reading, part of the celebratory series 'Look Back: 50 Readings, 50 Writers, 50 Years'. Where possible, original cast was reassembled for readings of theatre's past plays. CE was standing in for Neil Dudgeon. With Jane Horrocks, Lesley Sharp, Teddy Tudor Pole, Susan Brown, William Armstrong, Alan David.
AN OAK TREE
Father - 2006
By Tim Crouch
an oak tree is a two-hander, with the Hypnotist being played by Tim Crouch. The Father, however, is played by a different guest actor at each performance. They walk on stage having neither seen nor read a word of the play they're in… until they're in it.More info on the play at newsfromnowhere.net.
NIGHT SKY
Cpt. Tom - Old Vic Theatre - 2005
By Rachel Wagstaff - Dir. Gari Jones
Ali and Natasha find themselves captured by an evil regime. Imprisoned and with no sign of being able to escape, they are suddenly rescued by Captain Tom, a soldier working for the regime. Captain Tom takes Ali and Natasha to a secret hideout within the prison, where they meet up with John and George, prisoners who are also being helped by Captain Tom. However, tempers soon fray as they speculate upon Captain Tom's identity, motives and moral standing. Will he eventually lead them to safety, or is he one of them?With Bruno Langley (Ali), Saffron Burrows (Natasha), Navin Chowdhry (Censor), Christopher Eccleston (Captain Tom), David Baddiel (George), David Warner (John). Music by Simon Gray. One-night play/rehearsed reading, aiding Index on Censorship.
ELECTRICITY
Jakey - West Yorkshire Playhouse - 2004
By Murray Gold - Dir. Ian Brown
Review
telegraph.co.uk: Workers' Playtime
Christopher Eccleston, recently announced as the new Dr Who, offers charismatic value as the truculent Jakey, spending much of the show eating sandwiches on his employer's expensive recliner, and able to turn in a flash from loutish belligerence to sudden glimpses of unexpected charm, decency and wit.
HAMLET
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Hamlet - West Yorkshire Playhouse - 2002
By William Shakespeare - Dir. Ian Brown
Here's an interesting interview with CE about the role. And one more.
Reviews
whatsonstage.com:
But what of the Prince of Denmark? Christopher Eccleston is every inch the philosophy student, struggling to make sense of the bizarre and horrific hand that life has dealt him.telegraph.co.uk:
Dressed in scruffy black, right down to his boots, he comes over like a beatnik at a stuffy royal reception packed with placemen in double-breasted suits. You are never quite sure whether his savagely sarcastic Hamlet is going to laugh at himself - or punch someone else in the face.
MISS JULIE
Jean - Haymarket Theatre - 2000
By August Strindberg [in a version by Frank McGuinness] - Dir. Michael Boyd
Reviews: curtainup.com, thisislondon.co.uk, whatsonstage.com
More
WAITING AT THE WATER'S EDGE
Will - Bush Theatre - 1993
By Lucinda Coxon - Dir. Polly Teale
Review
independent.co.uk
ENCOUNTERS
National Theatre Studio
BENT
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Lieutenant/Kapo - National - 1990
By Martin Sherman - Dir. Sean Matthias
CE played in the third London staging of Bent with Ian McKellen in 1990. Read more about the play and its history at Philip Glass' site for the film 'Bent' or visit the play's page at McKellen's site.
ABINGDON SQUARE
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Frank - 1989-90
By Maria Irene Fornes - Dir. Nancy Meckler
Had its British première at Soho Poly Theatre in 1989 (6-17 June). CE played Frank both in that version and 1990 transfer to the National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre. From the latter run is the programme in question.
DONA ROSITA, THE SPINSTER
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The Nephew - Bristol Old Vic - 1989
By Federico Garcia Lorca - Dir. Phyllida Lloyd
NB: CE's résumé in this programme offers: "He has recently completed shooting of a new Ruth Rendell Mystery Movie, The Veiled One, to be televised this Christmas." He's either cut or not credited [IMDb page for the episode].
THE WONDER
Felix - Gate Theatre - 1989
By Susanna Centlivre
The Wonder was produced by a company that specialized in women writers, Escapade Theatre, at a 'tiny' theatre over a pub, the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill. Within this 'confined space' (Helena Blaker, City Limits, 7 September 1989) the actors gave a 'very physical performance' in a set with four doors 'from which the players pop[ped] in and out like jack-in-the boxes', according to Janet Todd ('Female Fancies'). The impression they created was of a 'fiercely paced anarchy' that included Violante subduing the 'comically deranged' Felix by sitting on him. The play emerged, as it had in Daly's production, as 'an entertaining door-slamming farce' that resembled the modern variety.[9] The production, according to Todd, obscured 'the play's nasty undercurrents', although she thought that casting Frederick with a black actor (Ricky Clark) 'cleverly represented' class by colour. Some of the other casting seems to have been highly conventional: Sue Flack was a 'buxom' Violante and Christopher Eccleston an 'impossibly handsome' Felix (Todd; Feay). Most of the reviewers found the plotting formulaic, although not surprisingly they were unaware of its Spanish conventions.Nancy Copeland, "Staging Gender in Behn and Centlivre: Women's Comedy and the Theatre", p.164
WOYZECK
Woyzeck - Birmingham Uni-Buchner Festival
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
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Pablo Gonzales/Sailor - Bristol Old Vic - 1989
By Tennessee Williams - Dir. Phyllida Lloyd
CE's professional début on stage.
1986 The Central School of Speech and Drama
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Student performances: 'Measure for Measure' (W. Shakespeare), 'Tartuffe' (Moliere), 'The Accrington Pals' (P. Whelan).
