Seymour Hoffman play hit by crunch
The financial crunch has hit some of the biggest names in London's theatreland. The Hollywood actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's (pictured) directorial effort, Riflemind, which opened at Trafalgar Studios on September 19 and which was backed by Cate Blanchett and her Australian playwright husband, Andrew Upton, is to shut 10 weeks early. Starring John Hannah as an ageing rock star, it was booked until January 3 next year, but now finishes on October 25.
And it is not alone. Eurobeat, a spoof musical which uses the Eurovision song contest as its starting point, posted a closure notice at the Novello Theatre on Friday. The show had been a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2007 before opening in London last month. It had been booking until November 15, but will now finish a fortnight early. Avenue Q, the award-winning puppet musical, which offered affordable tickets to a younger audience, is also to close earlier than planned.
These abrupt closures follow the sudden disappearance of the stage version of Girl with a Pearl Earring, based on the Tracey Chevalier novel and subsequent hit film starring Scarlett Johansson. It was the second consecutive production at the Theatre Royal Haymarket to finish before its booking period, coming after the musical, Marguerite, starring Ruthie Henshall, shut two months early with producers blaming Britain's current economic climate.
Hoffman brings play to London’s West End
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