) I guess the next on will be Poland then...
Post by millionaireloveruk on Dec 13, 2017 15:02:31 GMT -5
I recently saw this being advertised online, as well as it being written about in some newspapers, so I think it would be quite appropriate to share it here.
Playwright James Graham has written a play that is based on the Charles Ingram coughing scandal that became almost as synonymous with Millionaire in the UK as 'Is that your Final Answer?' or 'Do you want to Phone-A-Friend?'. The play goes through both the infamous taping of the show and the court case that followed, which, as we all know, led to Ingram's winnings being stripped and replaced with £115,000 in fines and legal costs, as well as suspended prison sentences for him, his wife Diana, and his accomplice Tecwen Whittock.
From what I've read, Graham has tried to emulate the atmosphere of the real show, with all audience members being given voting lanyards when they enter the theater, similar to the keypads the audience would have used to vote on. The first half of the play gives the case against the Ingrams and Whittock, as well as covering '...shady quiz rigging syndicates, the radical concept of Who Wants to be A Millionaire? [and] the way it made its producers rich...'. The second half then covers the case for the defence, which some critics have said, has the underlying question of what is the truth, and what is false, and how do we know the difference? It also covers some of the abuse and harassment the Ingrams were subject to.
The set of the play itself is loosely based on the Millionaire set, with two light columns, and coloured stairs, two seats in the middle and two monitors. All of which screams Millionaire, except for the colouring and the large cube that encapsulates the main part of the set.
As for the cast, the Major is played by Gavin Spokes, who has been described as an 'appealingly bumbling Major' who 'finds himself hesitating over questions', which is a pretty accurate depiction, in my opinion. Chris Tarrant is played by Keir Charles, who 'perfectly impersonates' Tarrant's mannerisms. I did read today that the real Chris Tarrant was seen going to watch the play - albeit in disguise, which, clearly, didn't work.
It's interesting to see that even now, the best part of four years since it last broadcast, Millionaire continues to have an impact on popular culture in the UK. There is some talk that this play could end up going to the West End, which would truly show the impact of the show on modern Britain.
As much as I would like to, I can't see the play, mainly due to it only being shown in a theater in Chichester, which is more than 230 miles (370 km) away from where I am. I'll leave a few links to sites about the play, one of which includes a gallery.
www.cft.org.uk/archive/quiz#overview (This contains the gallery, just click on the tab on the right hand side which says Gallery.)
www.whatsonstage.com/chichester-theatre/reviews/quiz-james-graham-minerva-millionaire_45120.html (This is a review of the play.)
Playwright James Graham has written a play that is based on the Charles Ingram coughing scandal that became almost as synonymous with Millionaire in the UK as 'Is that your Final Answer?' or 'Do you want to Phone-A-Friend?'. The play goes through both the infamous taping of the show and the court case that followed, which, as we all know, led to Ingram's winnings being stripped and replaced with £115,000 in fines and legal costs, as well as suspended prison sentences for him, his wife Diana, and his accomplice Tecwen Whittock.
From what I've read, Graham has tried to emulate the atmosphere of the real show, with all audience members being given voting lanyards when they enter the theater, similar to the keypads the audience would have used to vote on. The first half of the play gives the case against the Ingrams and Whittock, as well as covering '...shady quiz rigging syndicates, the radical concept of Who Wants to be A Millionaire? [and] the way it made its producers rich...'. The second half then covers the case for the defence, which some critics have said, has the underlying question of what is the truth, and what is false, and how do we know the difference? It also covers some of the abuse and harassment the Ingrams were subject to.
The set of the play itself is loosely based on the Millionaire set, with two light columns, and coloured stairs, two seats in the middle and two monitors. All of which screams Millionaire, except for the colouring and the large cube that encapsulates the main part of the set.
As for the cast, the Major is played by Gavin Spokes, who has been described as an 'appealingly bumbling Major' who 'finds himself hesitating over questions', which is a pretty accurate depiction, in my opinion. Chris Tarrant is played by Keir Charles, who 'perfectly impersonates' Tarrant's mannerisms. I did read today that the real Chris Tarrant was seen going to watch the play - albeit in disguise, which, clearly, didn't work.
It's interesting to see that even now, the best part of four years since it last broadcast, Millionaire continues to have an impact on popular culture in the UK. There is some talk that this play could end up going to the West End, which would truly show the impact of the show on modern Britain.
As much as I would like to, I can't see the play, mainly due to it only being shown in a theater in Chichester, which is more than 230 miles (370 km) away from where I am. I'll leave a few links to sites about the play, one of which includes a gallery.
www.cft.org.uk/archive/quiz#overview (This contains the gallery, just click on the tab on the right hand side which says Gallery.)
www.whatsonstage.com/chichester-theatre/reviews/quiz-james-graham-minerva-millionaire_45120.html (This is a review of the play.)
