Tag: Damian Lewis on Stage

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Sondheim’s Into The Woods

Damian Lewis was Michael Ball’s guest on Radio 2 two weeks ago.  The two talked about Damian’s music career, his on-going UK tour, musical theatre he has done to date and whether he wants to do it again: I am thrilled to report Damian’s answer is yes and my fingers are crossed all the way! So why don’t we revisit Damian in Sondheim’s Into The Woods today?

“Hello, little girl!”

Many viewers were surprised, as they watched the BBC Broadcast of the fabulous Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends Gala, to see Damian appear as the Wolf to Bernadette Peters’ Red Riding Hood from the musical Into the Woods – one of Sondheim’s greatest musicals. 

But the thing is that Damian is not a stranger to the role at all. In fact, he was the Wolf in Into the Woods  at the London revival of the musical back in 1998! So why don’t we travel back to that time and visit a 27 year old Damian on stage?

Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Sondheim’s Into The Woods”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in The Misanthrope

Damianista’s note (02/15/2024): When a good friend shares this picture from Damian’s dressing room with you, you know it is time to travel back to 2009 and re-visit our guy in The Misanthrope. It is Damian’s handwriting on the mirror: I would recognize that capital “G” anywhere. And it says ““Rouse tempers, goad and lacerate, raise a whirlwind.” A little research shows that this was Kenneth Tynan’s lifelong motto, pinned above his desk at the National Theatre when he was its literary manager. ENJOY!

It was 2009 when Damian played the lead role of Alceste in Martin Crimp’s modernized version of Moliere’s 17th century comedy. After his appearance in The Misanthrope he was not seen on stage again until American Buffalo six years later. Dare we say, The Misanthrope marked a turning point for Damian, the last one where he was the nearly A-list actor playing against decidedly A-list’er Keira Knightley. NOW, of course, he is not nearly anything but a full-blown highly sought commodity on stage and screen. In this post, I’ll tell you a bit about the play, then, beg your indulgence as I wax philosophical about the extent to which the themes of the play translate to Damian’s own career trajectory.

Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in The Misanthrope”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Hamlet on Broadway *UPDATED*

Damian was recently the guest on actor Jonathan Cake’s Stage Door Jonny podcast where the two actors had a long, lovely and intellectual conversation about theatre and life. As Damian shared several interesting anectodes from his acting career, one highlight was from when he made his Broadway debut in Hamlet in 1995.

So why not travel back to that time  and chase a 24 year old Englishman in New York? 😀

Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Hamlet on Broadway *UPDATED*”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in American Buffalo

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Damian took  a long break from stage – 6 years – after he did The Misanthrope with Keira Knightley and Tara Fitzgerald at Comedy Theatre in 2009. And three seasons of Homeland, a season of Wolf Hall, three movies, an Emmy and a Golden Globe later, in 2015, he made a wonderful comeback to West End as Walter “Teach Cole” in David Mamet’s American Buffalo which went into history as the first (and second) time I saw my favorite actor on stage. Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in American Buffalo”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Into The Woods

This lovely picture tweeted by Michelle Blair a few years ago shows a group of young actors that were together in the 1998 London revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods at Donmar Warehouse.

source: @MichelleBlair Twitter

Oh, yeah! Way earlier than being the big, bad wolf Henry in Wolf Hall, Damian Lewis was the Wolf in Into the Woods.  Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Into The Woods”