News and updates
August 2003 ~ Richard is leaving the cast ~ see below!
Phantom of the Opera - Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket, London SW1
John Owen Jones remains as principal Phantom.
26 January 2003
Richard has just completed week 20-25 January 2003 as an utterly fantastic Phantom.
So thank you, Richard, and here's to the next time!
24 March 2003
Richard's four performances from 20-22 March were as always an unparalleled delight!
7 June 2003
Richard has just finished playing the Phantom for two weeks while John took paternity leave. Unfortunately, during the second week Richard had to miss two days due to a bout of pharyngitis, so Tim Morgan covered those performances. Thankfully Richard was back on his usual magnificent form for the remainder of the week, finishing with two great shows today. Hope to see him again in the not-too-distant future!
4 August 2003
Received a message from Richard to say that he will be playing the Phantom once more in September... unfortunately for us fans of the best Phantom ever, it is only a short run ... but at least we will see him perform and hear that wonderful voice again. The dates he has given me are ~ 8-10 September inclusive ~ so that's four performances as it includes a Tuesday matinee. Get on down to Her Majesty's and book your tickets!!
Richard has told me today via e-mail that he has decided not to renew his contract. He will be leaving the show as of 4 October, so the performance on 10 September could well be his last.** He feels it is high time he moved on and feels ready now to 'make the break.' There will therefore be a new walking cover (I believe this will be Earl Carpenter) and indeed 2nd cover for us all to see as of 6 October. ** Since posting this news, Richard has actually performed another four shows, and will again be on stage at Her Majesty's tonight, 29 SEPTEMBER. If any further news comes my way via Richard, I'll post up pronto ~ and this is the last week of the contract!!
I know we will all be very, very sad to see Richard go. He has been ~ in my humble opinion ~ the finest interpreter of the rôle of the Phantom since the musical first opened. With his masterly acting and unquestionably superb singing voice, his portrayal of the Phantom was always charismatic, drawing each and every audience into the character's dark world of both passion and despair, loneliness and triumph, hatred and love.
I'm sure we all wish him good luck, good health and the very best for the future, whatever it might hold. Here's to you, Richard, and thanks for being a great Phantom and a very special person (well... I couldn't have created this website without you!!). Who knows, maybe one day you might return to the show, as others have done in the past. We can always live in hope... !
Love, Jeanette.xx
Saw the last matinee of this
current contract and gave those leaving a thoroughly-deserved
ovation. The show itself was great and it was fun spotting the
many little 'extras' included, as is usual during a last matinee.
Richard was there to join in the presentations and leave-takings
between shows, and so we were able to say hello and goodbye once
again! Richard, a zillion thanks for being just ...
The Best!!!
And the Phantom's latest award:
The Olivier Award for most popular long-running show in votes cast by audiences and the theatregoing public was recently won, as we all know, by The Phantom of the Opera. Richard did the performance on that memorable evening, and at the end of the show he made a speech of thanks to everyone who made the award possible - audiences, theatregoers and all of us who love this beautiful piece of musical theatre so much. Here's what he said.
I am hoping that Richard will agree to a little questions and answers session about his career, his hopes and future plans when he is next in London. If he is agreeable to this, then I will post up the results.
Well, we did get to talk to Richard on 13 February 2002 with a short interview session before the matinee performance. The resulting conversation is listed under 'Interview'.
25 August 2002. Richard agreed to answer some more questions for the website. These can all be found under "Questions and Answers".
December 2002. Richard gained a pass with honours for his feature writing diploma from the LSJ.
