Christopher Eccleston and Anthony Burgess (again!)

I got some great news from the Anthony Burgess Foundation. Well, great news for fans of my favourite writer: Christopher Eccleston will play in Burgess' screenplay Schreber on BBC Radio 3. Based on the nervous breakdown of Daniel Paul Schreber, which interested Sigmund Freud. Eccleston is not foreign to the work of Anthony Burgess, as he played in another radio adaptation of his work, which was absolutely brilliant. Both actor and writer being from Manchester, it makes perfect sense to have them work "together" again. Also, Christopher Eccleston knew first hand about mental illnesses, having unfortunately suffered from it himself. As sad as it is, his own experience should bring authenticity to his performance. So it is on BBC Radio 3 on Sunday at 19:30.

Oedipus rocks

This is a live post. As mentioned here, I am listening to this. I am sorry if I did not have time, as I wanted, to write a reminder. I want to blog more about this. Let's just say now that I believe that it is a masterpiece. And you can listen to it again on BBC iPlayer.

Oedipus soon

Here is a quick reminder (and a plug I have already done back in November) for those who can listen to it: on the 26th of February at 21:00 there will be Anthony Burgess' adaptation of Oedipus the King on BBC Radio 3. Oedipus will be played by Christopher Eccleston. It is partially produced to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Anthony Burgess. You do not want to miss it. My favourite writer's take on the haunting Greek myth, played by a great British actor. As I said in November, it is more than a dream coming true, it is a dream so good one would not even dare to have it. So mark it on your calendar and make time to listen to it.

Oedipus with a Northern accent

Here is a cultural announcement I have been wanting to give since a few days already. It is a great piece of news I got from the Anthony Burgess Foundation: Christopher Eccleston will play Oedipus in a BBC Radio 3 production of Anthony Burgess's adaptation of the most famous play of Sophocles. More details in RadioTimes and in Manchester Evening News. Now for me this is not merely a dream coming true: it is a dream I never even dared to have. Anthony Burgess is my favourite writer and it is always great to have his work featured on stage, TV, cinema or on the radio. I love Greek mythology and I have re-discovered Greek tragedy in recent years. As for Christopher Eccleston, I have been following his career since I first saw him in Cracker. I love him as an actor. I actually thought even then that he should play in some adaptations of the work of Anthony Burgess, should they actually get produced. Both writer and actor being Northerners, I thought it would make sense, that they had similar sensibilities in their respective craft. So that is such welcomed news. So anyway, the play will be broadcast on the 26th of February 2017 for the 100th anniversary of the birth of Anthony Burgess. Watch this space for further news and mark it on the calendar. It is going to be amazing.

De la nature de Vraie Fiction

Ce blogue semble pris de torpeur estivale ces temps-ci: la chaleur de l'été me donne peu d'inspiration et quand j'en ai, le billet passe inaperçu, alors que des trucs que j'écris à moitié pour faire du remplissage se trouvent très populaires. Prenons par exemple le billet sur Ursula Andress, dont je suis assez fier. C'est je crois un bon petit exercice d'analyse. Alors que les billets sur Paul McCartney m'ont valu une petite controverse maison (la maison étant le blogue) et les attaques obsessives d'un troll. Les récents billets et les réactions qu'ils ont suscitées (ou qu'ils n'ont pas suscitées) m'ont poussé à réfléchir sur la nature de ce blogue.

Étrange phénomène que le blogue, je le découvre petit à petit. L'un de mes billets les plus populaires ces temps-ci est celui sur Christopher Eccleston qui jouera Destro, notamment à cause des images qui attirent bien du monde, même si elles n'ont rien de spécial. Mes billets sur la série Rome ont été très populaires, mais n'attirent aucuns commentaires. Mes billets sur Nadine Dorries m'ont valu une certaine popularité il n'y a pas si longtemps. Cela dit, je n'avais pas l'intention au départ de faire un blogue polémiste. Je tenais aussi à y parler d'autre chose que de nourriture, ce qui m'est arrivé plus souvent qu'autrement. Je tenais à faire une sorte de journal impersonnel d'une expérience en soi porteuse d'anecdotes intéressantes (la vie d'un étranger en Angleterre), la nature fictive de ces expériences résidant dans la mise en récit: toute histoire racontée est forcément fictive, même autobiographique. Écrire son histoire, raconter un évènement cocasse ou un voyage, c'est forcément donner sa version partielle et partiale de la réalité. C'est aussi la modifier plus ou moins substantiellement pour faire une meilleure histoire. Je ne sais pas si mon enfance s'est produite exactement comme je l'ai racontée dans mes billets nostalgiques, mais l'impression que j'en ai y est authentiquement racontée. Et le récit est plus intéressant que l'expérience, ne serait-ce parce que je vous épargne les longueurs.

Alors voilà ce qu'était Vraie Fiction au départ: une mise en fiction de l'expérience d'un expatrié. Ce l'est toujours. Que ça puisse intéresser autre chose que moi-même et des proches, ça fera l'affaire d'un autre billet (sans doute). Ce que Vraie Fiction est aussi devenue, c'est un blogue qui parle de fiction, peu importe sa forme, mais notamment fiction littéraire. Cela vient un peu de ma formation de mes études en littérature, mais je ne tiens pas ici à faire des analyses formelles de quoi que ce soit. Cela dit, peu de gens s'intéressent à mes réflexions sur la fiction, notamment (je le présume) parce qu'il y a des blogues qui existent exclusivement pour ça. Mais c'est une qualité pour ainsi dire naturelle de ce bloque, que je tiens à garder, surtout qu'elle permet de faire la promotion d'oeuvres parfois trop peu connues.

Après ce billet, je crois que l'inspiration m'est revenue.

Cracker with Robbie Coltrane

Another litttle treasure I found on youtube, the introduction scene of the very first episode of Cracker. It was great police drama, written by Jimmy McGovern. It made me discover Christopher Eccleston and rediscover Robbie Coltrane (I knew him from his small roles in Goldeneye and Henry V). The main character, Dr. Edmond "Fitz" Fitzgerald, was a psychologist assisting the police to solve crime, while trying to save his marriage, on the verge of destruction because of his alcoholism, compulsive gambling and overall unpleasantness. It was great stuff, crime drama set in the North of England (in glorious Manchester), it had a perfect blend of violence (never gratuitious, violence in Cracker was a fatality), Catholic guilt (Fitz was a lapsed Catholic) and social pessimism. Anyway, here's the proof that Robbie Coltrane can play something else than Hagrid. The scene is cut and not very well, but it gives you an idea:

Christopher Eccleston as Destro?

I found a bit of info by total chance today, and I cannot believe it. Christopher Eccleston will play Destro in the next GI Joe movie. I absolutely love the actor, I have been following his career since Cracker, and as a child growing up in the 80s, I was crazy about the stupid 80s GI Joe cartoon (the comic books were supposed to be much better). That said, I am very skeptical about the GI Joe movie. I read a review (a positive one, mind you) of an early draft and it was to say the least heavily flawed, and I think casting a young actor as Cobra Commander is a big mistake. Joseph Gordon-Levitt might be a good actor, I don't think the head of Cobra should be someone who is still in his 20s. I know Eccleston wanted to get known in the American market, he deserves to have a wider fanbase, but I think this might be below his talents. I really enjoyed his role in Heroes though. One thing is sure: whatever the quality of the movie, they did the right casting for Destro. Which means that I am going to watch this movie.