- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: ANNE ARCHER TAKES OVER THE ROLE OF MRS ROBINSON IN "THE GRADUATE"
- Date: 14th June 2001
- Summary: VARIOUS, ANNE ARCHER AND ANDRES WILLIAMS PERFORMING SCENE FROM THE GRADUATE
- Embargoed: 29th June 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA7WFF5IW9KY15HNKVGGVI389U7
- Story Text: The Graduate has become something of a West End institution - it's still the hottest ticket in London after over 500 performances and three Mrs. Robinsons, and now the fourth is about to hit the stage. Anne Archer, of Fatal Attraction fame is taking over as the middle aged alcoholic with seduction in mind.
The Graduate has been the hottest ticket in London for over a year, first with veteran film star Kathleen Turner making her West End debut as the legendary Mrs. Robinson, followed by Texan model and novice actress, Jerry Hall and then British-born LA law star Amanda Donohoe.
Notoriety surrounded the role, as it required the leading lady to strip off in a brief, but highly publicised nude scene. This may have accounted for the initial mammoth ticket sales, but now The Graduate is firmly ensconced at the Gielgud Theatre, and with the fourth cast change underway, has proved itself to be a fine piece of theatre.
"I don't have all the preconditioned ideas about it because I have been living in the States, so I looked at is as a first time experience for be not thinking about anyone else having done it, and just came and saw the play and loved the part and loved the play, thought it had terrifically smart dialogue, and Mrs Robinson has a wonderfully smart mouth, and I really knew that it was a tour de force role for me and that I would be great in it so I decided to do it."
At 53, Archer is the oldest Mrs Robinson, Turner was 47, Hall 45 and Donohoe 39. She is however unabashed at baring all for the audience.
"Well, I came to see the play after it was offered to me to be sure it was something I was comfortable with, and I thought it was very very well done and in good taste and I didn't feel uncomfortable with it at all, and frankly I've had my least amount of attention on that, just creating her and really giving a wonderful performance in all the other scenes is really what the play is about for me, so that's just a little bit of fluff that comes and goes." QUESTION - SO YOU HAVEN'T BEEN GOING TO THE GYM FOR HOURS? "Well, I am working out more, I have a little attention on looking good, there's no question about that, but not for hours, I do about 10, 15 minutes of workout a day when I can and that's it."
Unlike in previous cast changes, the characters of Benjamin and Elaine Robinson will continue to be played by the same actors, Andres Williams and Coral Beed. Archer stipulated that she would play the role on the condition that they stayed on, after seeing them play against Amanda Donohoe.
"I think it depends on the piece, if the play is really working and we have a wonderful cast, Andres and Coral Bede are so fabulous as Benjamin and Elaine, and when all that works and the play works then you have a great experience, if a play doesn't work, or a film isn't working then you have a miserable experience, so I find I take it one at a time, and if I am in the middle of a great film then I think this is it, this is what I love doing, and if I am in the middle of a great play I say, if I could only earn a living at it I'd do the theatre all the time, unfortunately you don't really earn a living in the theatre."
Although the world of stage acting may not be as profitable as making a Holllywood film, the Graduate has taken £7.5 million at the box office since it opened in April last year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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