Main Cast: Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Rupert Everett, Tom Wilkinson, Ben Chaplin
Release Year: 2004
Country: US/UK
Run Time: 110 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
The true story of two performers whose careers were changed forever by a shift in gender roles on the British stage comes to the screen in this adaptation of the play Compleat Female Stage Beauty by Jeffrey Hatcher. In London, in the latter half of the 17th century, Ned Kynaston (Billy Crudup) is a noted star of the legitimate theater with an unusual specialty -- at a time when it was considered unseemly for women to work as thespians, Kynaston specialized in female roles, and was described by one writer as the most beautiful woman on the London stage. With the help of his faithful dresser, Maria Hughes (Claire Danes), Kynaston can turn himself into a striking actress in front of the footlights, and is starring opposite Thomas Betterton (Tom Wilkinson) in a production of Shakespeare's Othello when, while still in costume after a performance, he is propositioned by theatrical impresario Sir Charles Sedley (Richard Griffiths). The sexually open-minded Sedley isn't discouraged to learn Kynaston is a man, but he is bitterly angered by the actor's flip rejection of his advances. Sedley takes revenge against Kynaston by hiring a gang of criminals to beat him up. With Betterton's production of Othello closed while the leading "lady" recuperates, Hughes sees an opportunity and stages an underground version of the play, casting herself as Desdemona. While she lacks Kynaston's dramatic skills, the daring of her appearance on-stage creates a sensation, and King Charles II (Rupert Everett), a noted theater buff, is so taken with Hughes that he declares women should play women from now on. But as Hughes' star rises, Kynaston's quickly falls, and he becomes a bitter, forgotten man. When the novelty of Hughes' gender wears off and her failings as an thespian become obvious, she turns to her former friend Kynaston, hoping he can teach her to be as good an actress as he was. Stage Beauty's supporting cast includes Ben Chaplin, Edward Fox, and Hugh Bonneville. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Jeffrey Hatcher's play Compleat Female Stage Beauty tackles a period of British history that's ripe with gender and social interest, yet had not been revisited from a modern perspective: the lifting of the ban on female actors, and the consequences to the men who specialized in playing female roles. For audiences, the issue has 20th century parallels with silent film stars, whose funny voices sometimes kept them from transitioning to talkies, and unattractive musicians who couldn't make it on MTV. Richard Eyre's film version, Stage Beauty, does a mostly good job at drawing out this discussion, but the issues get a bit trivialized by the film's broadly comedic tone. Eyre seems more eager to whip his actors into a frenzy, which often plays for unintentional laughs, than to allow them quiet moments of despair or frustration. Consequently, the performances are capable, but they don't stand out. It's useful to know that the film is based loosely on a real man who eventually married and had children. Otherwise, the conversion of Billy Crudup's Kynaston from clearly homosexual to possibly straight seems a bit confabulated, not to mention coming dangerously close to implying that homosexuality can be "cured." It doesn't help that the relationship between Maria Hughes (Claire Danes) and Kynaston feels utterly false, due both to a lack of chemistry between Danes and Crudup and a lack of plausibility in their characters' attitudes and motivations. They do come together well in the third act, through a couple of rich rehearsal scenes containing smart observations on the actor's craft and on Shakespeare's Othello. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Hugh Bonneville - Samuel Pepys; Richard Griffiths - Sir Charles Sedley; Edward Fox - Sir Edward Hyde; Zoe Tapper - Nell Gwynn; Stephen Marcus - Thomas Cockerell; Clare Higgins - Mistress Revels; Mark Letheren - Male Emilia/Dickie; David Westhead - Harry; Tom Hollander - Sir Peter Lely; Derek Hutchinson - Stage Manager; Fenella Woolgar - Lady Meresvale; Jack Kempton - Call Boy; Alice Eve - Miss Frayne; Nick Barber - Nick; Robin Dunn - Butler; Isabella Calthorpe - Lady Jane Bellamy; Andy Merchant - 1st Thug; John Street - 2nd Thug; John Tannen - 3rd Thug; Hermione Gulliford - Mrs. Barry; Madeleine Worrall - Female Emilia
Credit
Keith Slote - Art Director, Jan Spoczynski - Art Director, Celestia Fox - Casting, Scarlett Mackmin - Choreography, Michael Dreyer - Co-producer, Tim Hatley - Costume Designer, Martin Harrison - First Assistant Director, Richard Eyre - Director, Tariq Anwar - Editor, Richard Eyre - Executive Producer, Michael Kuhn - Executive Producer, James D. Stern - Executive Producer, Amir J. Malin - Executive Producer, Rachel Cohen - Executive Producer, Deborah Taylor - Hair Styles, Lisa Westcott - Hair Styles, Buxton Jayne - Hair Styles, Julie Dartnell - Hair Styles, Lesley Smith - Hair Styles, Beverly Binda - Hair Styles, Helen Johnson - Hair Styles, Sue Quinn - Location Manager, George Fenton - Composer (Music Score), Geoffrey Alexander - Musical Arrangement, Deborah Taylor - Makeup, Lisa Westcott - Makeup, Buxton Jayne - Makeup, Julie Dartnell - Makeup, Lesley Smith - Makeup, Beverly Binda - Makeup, Helen Johnson - Makeup, Andrew Dunn - Camera Operator, Gerry Vasbenter - Camera Operator, Mark Milsome - Camera Operator, Jim Clay - Production Designer, Andrew Dunn - Cinematographer, Robert De Niro - Producer, Jane Rosenthal - Producer, Hardy Justice - Producer, Nicola Barnes - Research, Gordon Seed - Stunts, Tom Delmar - Stunts Coordinator, Stuart Brisdon - Special Effects Supervisor, Joseph Jayawardena - Unit Production Manager, Tim Porter - Unit Production Manager, Jeffrey Hatcher - Screenwriter, Doug Larmour - Visual Effects Supervisor, Chris Ackland - Sound Effects Editor, Birds & Animals UK - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Sally Sousa - Animal Trainer/Wrangler, Liza Miller - Unit Publicist, Charles McDonald - Unit Publicist, Moving Picture Company - Digital Effects, Saska Simpson - Associate Editor, Chris Day - Gaffer, Garth Sewell - Grip, Malcolm Huse - Key Grip, Sophie Cornet - Music Editor, Meg Clark - Post Production Supervisor, Joan Schneider - Production Coordinator, Phillip McDonald - Properties Master, Craig Irving - Re-Recording Mixer, Chris Wilson - Re-Recording Mixer, Karen Jones - Script Supervisor, Finn McGrath - Second Assistant Director, Gerry Vasbenter - Steadicam Operator, Clive Coote - Still Photographer, Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor - Visual Effects Producer, Tariq Anwar - ADR Editor, Peter Bond - ADR Editor, Andy Walker - ADR Editor, David Boulton - ADR Mixer, Mark Lafbery - ADR Mixer, Sound One Corporation - ADR Mixer, Paul Carr - ADR Mixer, Charleen Richards-Steeves - ADR Mixer, 20th Century Fox Studios - ADR Mixer, Goldcrest Post Production Facilities - ADR Mixer, Hackenbacker Audio Post Production - ADR Mixer, David Humphries - ADR Mixer, Twickenham Film Studios - ADR Recordist, Gavin Fitch - Assistant Art Director, Caroline Waterman - Assistant Costumer Designer, Aurelia Thomas - Assistant Location Manager, Gabrielle Le Rasle - Assistant Production Coordinator, Gill Ducker - Buyer, Harry Bowers - Camera Loader, Sam Goldie - Camera Loader, Anthony Brookman - Costumes Assistant, Caroline Olcesi - Costumes Assistant, Jacky Thomas - Costumes Assistant, Dianne Wren - Costumes Assistant, Celia Yau - Costumes Assistant, Allison Wyldeck - Costumes Supervisor, Tariq Anwar - Dialogue Editor, Peter Bond - Dialogue Editor, Andy Walker - Dialogue Editor, Oliver Goodier - Draftsman, Khadeeja Rafique - Draftsman, Peter Wing - Electrician, Anthony Allen - Electrician, Ricky Churchouse - Electrician, Colin Gallagher - Electrician, Michael Hayes - Electrician, Mark Keeling - Electrician, David Smith - Electrician, The Casting Collective Limited - Extra Casting, Peter Burgis - Foley Artist, Andi Derrick - Foley Artist, Ben Barker - Foley Editor, Caroline Oxley-McLeod - Foley Editor, Claire Lundberg - Personal Assistant, Alexandra Arlango - Personal Assistant, Tonia Wright - Personal Assistant, Nadeem Chughtai - Scenic Artist, Steve Mitchell - Scenic Artist, Jane Clark - Storyboard Artist, Caroline Smith - Set Decorator, Jill Tandy - Co-Executive Producer, Malcolm Ritchie - Co-Executive Producer, Jeffrey Hatcher - Play Author, Jason Ellis - Focus Puller, Mark Milsome - Focus Puller, Gareth Bull - Foley Mixer, Anvil Post Production - Foley Recordist, Eddy Kolkiewicz - Negative Cutter, Reel Skill Film Cutting - Negative Cutter, Andy Robinson - Negative Cutter, Jim Greenhorn - Production Sound Mixer, Heidi Gower - Runner, Amanda Leggatt - Runner, Simon Sanderson - Runner, Paul Clancy - Special Effects Technician, Mark Haddenham - Special Effects Technician, David Keen - Special Effects Technician, Charlie Waller - Third Assistant Director, Seb Barraclough - Video Assist, Brendan Donnison - Voice Casting, Vanessa Baker - Voice Casting, Cineimage - Title Design, John McGee - Carpenter, Paul Carpenter - Carpenter, Peter Collins - Carpenter, Barry O'Brien - Carpenter, Jason Phelps - Carpenter, Paul Webb - Carpenter, Matthew Whelan - Carpenter, Joe Alley - Carpenter, Brian Bovingdon - Carpenter, Barney Inman - Carpenter, Ronald Leighton - Carpenter, Craig Parratt - Carpenter, Cathal Macilwaine - Standby Carpenter, Jeff Sullivan - Painter, John Ivall - Painter, Peter Mounsey - Painter, Michael Pelham - Painter
Kynaston is one of the leading actors of his day, famed for his portrayal of female characters, particularly Desdemona in Othello. His loyal dresser Maria longs to perform on stage but is forbidden to do so by a law enacted by the Puritans prior to the return of the House of Stuart to the throne. She fulfills her desire by appearing in plays presented in a local tavern under the name Margaret Hughes. Word of her performances spread and the novelty of a woman on stage draws the attention of Sir Charles Sedley, who offers to be her patron, and eventually the king himself.
Kynaston's rant against allowing women on stage is overheard by Nell Gwynne, an aspiring actress and King Charles II's mistress, and she literally seduces Charles into banning men from playing female roles. As a result, Kynaston loses his lover, George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, and the acceptance of London society and - unable to shake the feminine characteristics he has perfected over the years - is reduced to performing bawdy songs in drag in music halls while Maria's career thrives.
When Maria is called upon to portray Desdemona for the king, she panics and implores Kynaston to coach her. Not only does he agree, but he insists on replacing company head Thomas Betterton in the role of the titular protagonist. In doing so, he discovers his ability to portray successfully a male character, while Maria evolves from an actress of middling talent to an acclaimed theatrical star.
While the film is rooted in historical fact - the first English theatre actress, although her name is unknown, is believed to have performed the role of Desdemona[1] — some liberties with the truth were taken. Nell Gwynne is represented as a mistress of the King who subsequently becomes an actress, but in reality she already was a noted theatre personality when Charles II met her. The sequence in which Maria and Kynaston discover naturalistic acting is anachronistic, as naturalism was not developed until the 19th century.
In the DVD commentary, several cast members recall the film was shot during the hottest UK summer on record (2003), and the temperature under the lights usually hovered at 46 degrees C (115 F), making performing in the heavy, layered costumes a grueling experience.
Twelve costume houses were involved in the production, including The Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Theater and Angels & Bermans, as well as the Italian houses Sartoria Farani, Tirelli, Costumi d'Arte, E. Rancati, G.P. 11 and Pompei.
In his review in the New York Times, A.O. Scott said, "At times, the movie feels like a fancy-dress version of A Star Is Born . . . Mr. Crudup's fine features, which flicker between masculine and feminine as the lighting changes and the mood shifts, are well suited for the role, though his sinewy, birdlike frame suggests Hollywood anorexia more than Restoration curviness . . . Stage Beauty is both timorous and ungainly, words that might also describe Ms. Danes's performance. Trapped in an English accent and in a character who must appear conniving and warmhearted in turn, she veers from teariness to brisk indignation like an Emma Thompson doll with a jammed switch. The British actors in smaller roles handle the material better . . . George Fenton's Sunday-brunch score, on the other hand, is an indigestible dose of good taste ladled heavily over even the film's witty and delicate moments."[2]
David Rooney of Variety called the film "an intelligent and entertaining adaptation . . . skillfully acted, handsomely crafted" and added, "Eyre's spry direction of the refreshingly literate, witty drama shows a pleasingly light touch and a genuine feel for the bustle, backbiting and rivalry of the theater milieu . . . In a delicately measured performance that favors graceful subtlety over campy mannerism, Crudup conveys a nuanced sense of a man struggling to know himself . . . Put in the unenviable position of playing second fiddle to her male co-star in terms of feminine allure, Danes is lovely nonetheless . . . George Fenton's rich orchestral score enlivens the action with an occasional rousing Celtic flavor."[3]
In Rolling Stone, Peter Travers rated the film three out of a possible four stars and called it "bawdy fun . . . . the gender role-playing puts spine in this period piece that is vital to the here and now."[4]
Carla Meyer of the San Francisco Chronicle said, "The film rarely matches Crudup's performance, appearing confused itself about whether it's farce or drama. But its palette of burnished browns and reds pleases the eye, and at its best, Stage Beauty captures the tensions and electricity of backstage dramas."[5]
In The New Yorker, David Denby observed, "Second-rate bawdiness — that is, bawdiness without the wit of Boccaccio or Shakespeare or even Tom Stoppard — is more infantile than funny, and I'm not sure that the American playwright Jeffrey Hatcher, who concocted this piece for the stage and then adapted it into a movie, is even second-rate. Stage Beauty might be called the spawn of Shakespeare in Love, and, unfortunately, this is a Shakespeare that lacks the graceful spirit and breathless narrative drive of its progenitor."[6]
Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly rated the film C+ and described it as "an odd amalgam of high spirits, lively ambition, and botched execution."[7]
^ "English Renaissance and Restoration Theatre" by Peter Thomson, The Oxford Illustrated Guide to Theatre, edited by John Rusell Brown, Oxford University Press, 1995, pp. 206-207.
