Simon Russell Beale portrays a London cab driver instead of a classical hero
BY MICHAEL SOMMERS
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
OFF BROADWAY REVIEW
Simon Russell Beale is a splendid British actor, no doubt, but when watching him interpret classical roles such as Hamlet and Uncle Vanya in the past, I have always been aware that he is, well, acting. His artistry tends to have a slightly studied quality that suggests his performance is more cerebral than soulful.
So it’s good to observe Beale get down to earth as Jimmy, a London cab driver in “Bluebird,” a 1998 British play by Simon Stephens that opened on Monday at Atlantic Theater Company’s second stage space.
