Guy Pearce, Wicked and The Normal Heart

The Independent’s entertainment newsletter [View in browser]( [The Independent]( October 02, 2021 [The Independent]( Written by Alexandra Pollard The IndyArts Newsletter Happy Saturday and welcome to this week’s IndyArts newsletter! I've never heard such a cacophony of sobs and gasps as I did at the National Theatre last night, at the end of its production of The Normal Heart. The Larry Kramer play, first performed in London in 1986, chronicles the Aids epidemic and the gay activists who desperately tried to seek help from those in power – a frustrating uphill battle slowed down by rampant homophobia. It is equal parts moving and enraging; I thoroughly recommend it. Meanwhile, it's the 15th anniversary of the West End premiere of Wicked, and [I spoke to the musical's creators Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, as well as Sophie Evans](, who's currently playing Glinda on the London stage. We chatted about those early scathing reviews, the depressingly still-relevant political analogies, and the first time Idina Menzel performed "Defying Gravity" in Schwartz's New York apartment (and suggested one small but important change). [Drag Race]( Sophie Evans and Laura Pick in a production of ‘Wicked' (Matt Crockett) If you're a fan of Scrubs, you won't want to miss [Simon Bland's oral history of the beloved sitcom](; as a teenage superfan, I couldn't get enough of the piece's tidbits and insights. Meanwhile, here's [Adam White on why it's time for James Bond to die](. [The Saturday Interview – Guy Pearce]( [Oscars image]( Pearce recently starred opposite Kate Winslet in Mare of Easttown (Photo by Yoram Kahana / Alamy) This week’s Saturday Interview is with [Guy Pearce](. The Australian star, who swapped Neighbours for edgy, intelligent film roles, talked to Gabriel Tate about his new sci-fi noir Zone 411, late fatherhood, the crisis that led to breakdown, music and the Mare of Easttown. [Oscars image]( Pearce in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Memento' (Danny Rothenberg/Summit/Kobal/Shutterstock) Read an extract from our Saturday Interview below… “I went to America still carrying this baggage of not believing myself or the value of my work, so I was extremely picky,” he recalls. “I had people around me saying I should do a superhero film, but I was only interested in films that felt heavy and psychological. I’d done five films back-to-back and was pretty spent, turning up to work every morning and growling at people. I was battling with myself all the time over whether it’s just ridiculous and childish, faking stuff for a living.” He sighs. “I was about ready to kill somebody, to be honest, so I took 18 months off, had a big old think about it and a bit of a lie-down and came back thinking actually, this is something that will keep me young. It’s a wonderful, youthful perspective on life. It was the decision of a thirty-something man, not an eight-year-old boy.” While age has brought a serenity offscreen, onscreen the leading parts have remained agreeably gnarly; witness his swaggering, tormented Scrooge in Stephen Knight’s A Christmas Carol. His character turns, meanwhile, have subtly embellished everything from The Road and Mary Queen of Scots to Oscar winners The Hurt Locker and The King’s Speech. He has even consented to do the odd blockbuster. [Read the full interview here]( What to binge this week [Oscars image]( Donald Faison, Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke in hit sitcom Scrubs [Scrubs]( It's the hospital-set sitcom's 20th anniversary this weekend (which makes me feel about 100 years old), so what better opportunity to watch the whip-smart, goofy, sometimes devastating show from the very start? Its nine seasons are streaming on Disney Plus (maybe give the ninth one a miss, though). Out and about [The Normal Heart – The National Theatre]( With an astonishing ensemble cast, this Dominic Cooke-directed production follows a group of gay men through the terrifying early years of the Aids epidemic in New York. It is poignant, scathing and incredibly powerful. Buy tickets [here](. [Sensoria Festival, Sheffield]( The festival presents a unique mix of live performance, film screenings, installations, exhibitions and music. It's known for its use of unusual venues – events have included city centre Drive-Ins, swimming pool screenings and an AV installation in a Sixties hotel ballroom. Buy tickets [here](. [Theaster Gates: A Clay Sermon, Whitechapel Gallery]( The Independent's art critic Mark Hudson had many positive things to say about this eclectic installation. "Theaster Gates exemplifies that figure of our times, the international 'hero' artist – on a par with Antony Gormley, Anselm Kiefer or Olafur Eliasson – who operates on a truly multi-national scale." More information [here](. Essential reading [‘Culture of protection’ stops police raising concerns, say ex-officers]( [‘Culture of protection’ stops police raising concerns, say ex-officers]( [It took them 92 years to open a movie museum in LA. Was it worth the wait?]( [It took them 92 years to open a movie museum in LA. Was it worth the wait?]( [The 10 best films of 1969]( [The 10 best films of 1969]( If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's entertainment newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's entertainment newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Culture_Newsletter_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.