ldarling (ldarling@thehub.com.au)
Sun, 7 Jun 1998 13:51:59 +1000
> > and from what little I've seen of
> >AbFab, it doesn't bring out her capabilities as much as Lynda did.
>
> Actully AB Fab shows her capablities much more than PG - becasue the
> character is more removed from her own personality. It's much esaier
Just because your character is more removed from yourself does not mean
that you are demonstrating more skill as an actor. As Lynda Julia gave a
role of incredible depth and demonstrated brilliant range - subtlety,
pathos, humour, and a great character performance without being cliche.
AbFab was occasionally funny, but not particularly good. Like too many
British shows (and I love most of them) it relied on constantly rehashing
the same few jokes (role reversal, Edina's personality, Patsy's
personality) which, while it was enough for a brilliant F&S skit was not
enough for three series worth! Another example is Keeping Up Appearances -
same joke, again and again. After a point, you just can't find anything
funny in Patsy being drunk and Edina being stupid, and the show fell apart
sometime in the second series. The only reason I ever watched it was for
Julia's performance as the incredibly sexy Saffron, but it was terrible to
see her dragged down by that role - Saffy is cliche, and boxed into a one
dimensional thing, her purpose merely to be ther dull-as-dishwater straight
man to Edina's "comic" lunacy. It was a testament to Julia's skills that
you could see her being stifled in that role, and that even though it was
so confining she managed to add a small amount of depth to Saffy against
all the odds.
(I'm sure most PG fans favourite episode of AbFab is Morocco, because Julia
gets the most *eposure* in that episode! Well, the male PG fans anyway)
Sure, AbFab might give you the odd grin occasionally but it is nothing
compared to Press Gang. Did Julia make the right decision then? Much as
AbFab annoys me, I'd have to say yes. Three years of paying her dues on a
mediocre show is a small price to pay for the fame she so richly deserves.
Not that it would it have been an easy choice - just because she'd played
Lynda for five years doesn't mean she would have felt bored or confined.
Indeed, she would have probably felt more attached to the character after
so long. But I think in reality it probably didn't come down to her making
the ultimate choice between the Press Gang and AbFab. Life is more
complicated than that, and show business much more so.
But that's just what I think. :-)
Cheers All,
Steve.
--
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