Class Wars
Patrick Marber updates Strindberg.
Patrick Marber’s “After Miss Julie” (a Roundabout Theatre Company production at the American Airlines), a version of August Strindberg’s gnarly, pathfinding 1888 tragedy about class division and desire, puts a new engine in an old chassis; the problem is internal combustion. In transposing the play from late-nineteenth-century Sweden to England in July, 1945, on the night of the British Labour Party’s landslide victory over Winston Churchill and the Conservatives at the end of the Second World War—a paradigm shift that would usher in the welfare state—Marber strips much of the need from the characters’ conflict and gums up the dramatic machinery. As a result, the vehicle accelerates swiftly, only to lose traction and spin out of control.
Of the many circumstances that drive the original, aristocratic Miss Julie into her kitchen to dance with the valet—dusk, the Midsummer festival, her period, her broken engagement, her father’s absence from their stately home—the most essential is her hysteria. As we learn in the play’s first lines, Miss Julie has a habit of making a reckless spectacle of herself. By turning sexual and social decorum on its head, she projects her craziness onto others: they end up confounded, instead of her. Alternately sadistic and seductive, her manic behavior broadcasts her suicidal stalemate. She wants to be “under the ground,” she says early in the original play. She feels the immanence of decline, and she uses her wounds as a lure. “I am coming down in the world,” she admits to Jean, the valet. He, by contrast, is defined by his desire to rise. Each needs something in the other, though they don’t need each other. Jean sees Miss Julie and her wealth (consciously) as a chance at life; Miss Julie sees Jean and his forcefulness (unconsciously) as a chance at death.
A year after adding screencaps from the film itself, I have now added screencaps of the The Edge Of Love DVD extras. Despite the fact that the film is pretty serious, it looks like they had a great time filming it! There are some great shots of Sienna in here – particularly from the Gag Reel – and she looks so gorgeous in this film 
• DVD Screencaptures – Looking Over: ‘The Edge Of Love’ – Interviews x244
• DVD Screencaptures – Deleted Scenes x77
• DVD Screencaptures – Gag Reel x191
• DVD Screencaptures – Photo Gallery x4
To stop this page from looking so bare because of the new news system, I’ve added screencaps from a new interview by Mail Online (watch it here), which features footage from After Miss Julie. It appears to be a press interview for the stage production, as in one part you can see her co-stars Jonny Lee Miller and Marin Ireland.
Thanks to ‘Green‘ for downloading this video for us.
• Mail Online (UK) – October 21st 2009 x133
As part of the ‘site re-vamp’ mentioned on the sidebar << and in some previous posts, we are converting to a new news system that is much more flexible and easy for us and you to use. And what better time to start using it that on the 1st of a new month?! I haven't converted the old news over yet because it's going to take a bit of work, but you can view all previous updates in our Archives, and once everything is on this news system you will be able to browse through old archives and search for stuff much more easily.
I think I’m also going to take down the content navigation links whilst I work on tidying up/updating all the sections too and then I’ll re-open them as they’re done.
Remember you can always send us your comments, questions, suggestions, contributions, feedback etc. etc. to help us improve the site – just send me an email at jess @ sienna-miller.org (no spaces) or use the contact form.
I know we don’t post gossip anymore, but I had to post just this one thing!
A rep for Jude Law has blasted rumours that the actor has reunited with former girlfriend Sienna Miller. “Jude and Sienna are just friends and are seeing each other socially occasionally as they are both on Broadway, performing just one block apart,” she told GLAMOUR.COM. The dismissal comes after the pair, who dated for two years, were reported to have got back together.
Last night was Sienna’s first performance in “After Miss Julie”, and I have already added over 80 pictures from the curtain call and the after-party as well as a photoshoot with Jonny Lee Miller – I absolutely love Sienna’s dress!
- “After Miss Julie” Opening Night After-Party
- “After Miss Julie” Opening Night – Arrivals & Curtain Call
- Promotional Photoshoot [3]
Hi! I’ve just added a nice little batch of HQ images to the gallery today – 15 HQ images from Sienna’s latest public appearance on the 19th of October, for the Rag & Bone Soho Store Opening, and a further 81 HQ images from the G.I. Joe Press Conference back in August – enjoy!
“SERIAL MILLER” is what the London tabloids like to call the 27-year-old actress Sienna Miller, in honor of her long and well-documented romantic history. Her flings have included Jude Law, Daniel Craig, James Franco and most recently the married oil heir Balthazar Getty, with whom she was photographed topless and in a sailor hat. She is also famous for her retro-hippie fashion sense, for enthusiastic partygoing and for occasional miscalculations like a same-sex toe-sucking incident after the 2006 Oscars.
Ms. Miller is opening on Thursday in the Roundabout Theater production of “After Miss Julie,” Patrick Marber’s adaptation of the Strindberg play “Miss Julie.” The audience at previews has included Sienna lookalikes, blond fashionistas in miniskirts and heavy makeup, and scholars less of Scandinavian theater, perhaps, than of her Vogue cover appearances. That some people have trouble taking Ms. Miller seriously as an actress — or don’t even know she is one — is because she has so frequently been her own worst enemy.
“I think I underestimated the way people bracket you,” Ms. Miller said in her dressing room recently, after popping out to the stage door for a smoke. “I thought I could wear what I wanted and be an actress and live my life in a certain way, and it would all be all right.”
She compared herself to her friend Keira Knightley : “I’m more frivolous. I haven’t been as bright in some of the decisions I’ve made. Keira’s just a more evolved person.” She added: “I feel we live in the kind of culture now where you have to be very smart to navigate the right way, and I just don’t have those smarts. I think with age and time it will change, but I can’t obsess about it.”
Sienna appeared on the Late Show with Letterman last night. Below is a video of her interview, and I will add photos of her arriving at the studio + screencaps asap!
A book of children’s poems, selected by famous British personalities including Phil Tufnell, Richard Hammond and Sienna Miller as their ‘childhood favourite’, has been launched in aid of The Children’s Trust, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009.
The anthology of poems at just £4.99 – with £4.50 from each book going directly to the charity – will make a wonderful stocking filler for children.
Amongst other celebrities who have submitted their favourite verses are: award-winning author Jacqueline Wilson, Elaine Paige, Paul O’Grady, McFly, Lorraine Kelly, Quentin Blake, Rebecca Romero, Henry Winkler, Michael Absalom, Penny Smith, Lucy Speed, Simon Shaw, Helen Skelton, Dani Harmer (Tracy Beaker), Andrew Castle, Vic Reeves and Nancy Sorrell, with poetry writing tips from Colin West. Adding her support to the charity’s commemorative fundraising project, is the UK’s new poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, who has written the foreword.
The book of poetry and illustrations also includes a witty verse – based on a theme ‘Laughter – what makes you laugh?’ – written by 10-year-old Francesca Major from Looe, Cornwall, winner of a recent national, children’s competition aimed at budding young writers. The winning verse is featured with some of the nation’s most famous poems, including The Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis Carroll, which has been selected by famous illustrator, Quentin Blake, whose special illustration of the poem appears on the front cover of the book. All the additional illustrations for the book are by children from The Children’s Trust.
Francesca Major’s school – Polperro Primary School, Looe, will also benefit from her success by receiving £500 worth of Walker books. The official poetry book launch, which will be a special celebration for press, celebrities and young people, including children from The Children’s Trust, will be hosted by The Draycott Education Centre and Draycott Nursing and Care in Chelsea at the end of October.
Money from the sale of the poetry books will help to enhance the lives of children with severe disabilities. The Children’s Trust is a British charity that provides care, education and therapy for children with multiple disabilities and complex health needs, and rehabilitation services to children with an acquired brain injury.
Published in association with Walker Books, the paperback can be purchased on-line from The Children’s Trust at: www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/walrusbook.
