Honestly, this asp knows no bounds
Lin
This item was posted in the Guestbook of the unofficial Alan Rickman website:
It was confirmed this evening that the flowers DID arrive for Mr. Rickman and Cedric on Tuesday evening (20 Oct) as requested. Both sets were taken home by Mr. Rickman after the performance.
Stage Door / NT
London, - Thursday, October 22, 1998 at 19:14:17 (CDT)
Claire, a friend from the UK, saw A,C,&C during the previews, and here's her brief review:
So what of Cedric!Claire also told us that there appear to be two Cedrics, one large and one small, sharing the same basket on stage. Cedric (the one Ms Mirren takes to her bosom) is "dark-greenish/brown", and was not able to go to the stage door to greet his fans. Apparently (and understandably), after the show he needed rest.
Well he moves -- hmm -- like an asp. The cast was obviously wary of his previous exploits as they took the time to replace him in the basket, place the lid on the basket -- COVER THE BASKET with a cloth --- THEN die from his bite!
As to the other major cast -- Mirren's Cleopatra is fine; Finbar Lynch's Enobarbus excellent; Sam West as Ceasar understated.
Fausta thanks Claire for her review and update.
Further news:
Thanks to Chris, Cedric will be receiving flowers on opening night.
Chris tells us the message on the card will read "Best Wishes from your friends at the Unofficial Cedric the Asp web page", followed by this website's address.
Many thanks to Chris for her dedication to the greatest (reptilian) actor of his generation!
Incidentally, the fans refer to the current London production as Antony, Cedric, and Cleopatra. . .
Real, honest-to-goodness, actually published newspaper articles on Cedric, describing how the story uncoiled:
THE PLAY'S NOT THE THING FOR CEDRIC
from the BBC News, Wednesday, September 9, 1998
He was preparing for the biggest role of his career, playing in Shakespeare alongside Helen Mirren. Now he's cuahgt stage-fright -- and theatre staff are desperately searcning for him.
Cedric the snake has not been seen for a week since he escaped from his box in offices at London's Royal National Theatre, where he was soon to star in Antony and Cleopatra.
The foot-long Californian King snake was due to appear at the end of the play, when Cleopatra - played by Ms Mirren - commits suicide by pressing a snake to her bosom to administer a fatal bite.
The Royal National Theatre's Lucinda Morrison said: "There have been calls out around the theatre and lots of notices put up but he's clearly not in the building. He must be determined not to make his debut in a National Theatre production."
It is the second time Cedric has vanished - a cleaner found him last time, and he was put in a secure box, leading to suspicions he may have had help in his quest for freedom.
Unlike the snake Cedric was supposed to play, Californian Kings are completely harmless.
But if he is not found soon, his part will go to understudy snake Indigo, who played the asp in rehearsals.
Ms Mirren is said to be "bearing up" at the loss of her co-star, and preparing for the play's opening on October 20th.
article sent by Claire
STAGE BITE FRIGHT AS SNAKE FLEES PLAY
A snake due to play a key role in a play starring Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman has escaped. The non-venomous one foot (30 centimetre) asp - nicknamed Cedric - went missing from a secure box during rehearsals for Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Prime Suspect star Mirren, who is playing Cleopatra, uses the asp to commit suicide with at the end of the play, at the National Theatre in London. A spokesman says, "It was only playing a slither-on part but it's fairly crucial."
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998
Article sent by Nele from Estonia
'ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA' STAR A SNAKE
LONDON (AP) -- One of Helen Mirren's pivotal co-stars in the Royal National Theater's staging of Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra" is refusing to work with her.
It seems Cedric the snake has slunk off rather than participate in the climactic scene in which Cleopatra, played by Ms. Mirren, commits suicide by pressing a snake to her bosom to administer a fatal bite.
The California king snake has not been seen since he escaped from his box in the theater's offices four days ago, a theater spokeswoman said.
But the show will go on -- with another snake that has played the Egyptian asp in rehearsals.
‘Antony and Cleopatra’, which also stars Alan Rickman, opens Oct. 20.
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998
article sent by Raffaella from Italy, and by Julia from Canada
SNAKE SLITHERS OUT OF SHAKESPEARE
Where's my serpent of old Nile? roars Antony in Shakespeare's play, referring of course to his beloved Cleopatra.
But Alan Rickman, soon to star as the Roman hero at the Royal National Theatre, may now utter the same cry with reference to Cedric, a non-venomous Californian king snake, who may by now have slithered off his mortal coil.
Cedric, a foot long and quite colourful, was to have understudied his colleague Indigo in a climactic scene with Helen Mirren, who as the Egyptian queen clasps him to her bosom and then dies from a pretend-poisonous bite.
Whether Cedric was attacked by stage fright or became bashful at the prospect of such intimacy with Ms Mirren is not known. A conspiracy theory suggests that he may even have been liberated from his secure box in the production manager's office by a reptile lover.
The only certainty is that he has done a legless runner before and was found by a cleaner. This time he has not been seen for four days and could be anywhere in Sir Denys Lasdun's concrete culture palace on London's South Bank.
If alive, he could pop up on stage to add a touch of authenticity to the National's production of Oklahoma or even slither up the trouser leg of Trevor Nunn, the theatre's boss.
"We are becoming reconciled to the fact that we may not see Cedric again," lamented a Royal National Theatre spokeswoman. "We are keeping our eyes peeled, but we are not expecting him suddenly to appear."
The RSPCA said the theatre should have made do with a fake snake in the first place. "Some of these producers simply insist on real ones," fumed Tim Thomas, snake expert.
He feared Cedric might die unless he was found soon. "Big snakes like boas or pythons could last in a hostile environment for six or seven months because of their fat reserves. But this chap is obviously pretty small and young, so he is very vulnerable."
The Soothsayer, meanwhile, continues to rehearse his big Act V entrance, with or without Cedric. "His biting is immortal; those that do die of it do seldom or never recover."
© Copyright Guardian Media Group plc.1998
From the Wednesday, September 9, 1998 Guardian. article sent by Claire, from the UK
SNAKES ALIVE! CEDRIC THE WANDERING ASP STARTS NEW RUN AT THE NATIONAL
Copyright 1998 Times Newspapers Limited
Sunday Times
From the September 13, 1998, Sunday Home News Section
by Yvonne Ridley
IS THIS an asp I see before me or is it his understudy? That was the question in Lascelles Thompson's mind as he stood motionless and alone in an empty fourth-floor office of the National Theatre last Monday evening, writes Yvonne Ridley.
The serpent, which slithered slowly across the carpet in front of the payroll manager, had been hired only days before to play a starring role in the theatre's forthcoming production of Antony and Cleopatra. Now missing and at large, it threatened not just the ruthless Egyptian queen but the theatre's staff, and worse, its patrons.
"I'd heard a snake had gone missing so I did not panic when I spotted it," said Thompson, who like most of his colleagues has not put a hand near a basket of fruit since the incident. "In the end it shot behind a filing cabinet and disappeared down a crevice."
And there, or thereabouts, in the 2,450-seat theatre complex the serpent remained when The Sunday Times called in Steve Parkinson, one of the country's leading herpetologists, on Friday.
"There's no reason why he shouldn't make the National his home," said Parkinson after the theatre's management emphasised that the asp, named Cedric by theatre staff, was in fact a harmless foot-long Californian King snake.
After surveying the multi-storey building which contains three separate auditoriums - the Olivier, Lyttelton and Cottesloe - Parkinson predicted that Cedric's next appearance would probably be made in the Olivier, where the musical Oklahoma!, starring Maureen Lipman, is now playing.
"He was last seen on the fourth floor but all his natural instincts will drive him down. The Olivier is on the third floor so that is likely to be his next stop," said Parkinson.
"Californian Kings have an incredible sense of taste so he might also pop up under a table in one of the restaurants or bars during an interval."
Californian King snakes are among the easiest breed of snakes to keep in captivity, although in the wild they are aggressive predators feared by all other snakes, including rattlesnakes.
Captive-bred snakes such as Cedric do not generally have a bad disposition, although in the wild the species has strong cannibalistic tendencies. Their readiness to devour other snakes has given rise to their name, although their usual diet in captivity is one mouse a week.
"It is important to have an escape-proof enclosure because this breed will tenaciously search for that small hole, gap or loose-fitting lid. They are very secretive and prefer to curl up in a crevice or underneath something," said Parkinson.
Cedric had first escaped two weeks ago but was quickly recaptured by a theatre cleaner. When he went missing again staff were initially convinced he had been stolen because his empty vivarium appeared completely secure. Cynics suggested his disappearance was just a publicity stunt until it became clear that that might be counter-productive.
Unless Cedric returns to fulfil his artistic obligations soon, his understudy, also a Californian King, will be asked to step into his skin and kill off Cleopatra in the theatre's Shakespearean production starring Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman, which starts on October 12.
"The new one is being cared for at a secret location," said Fiona Walsh, the theatre's head of publicity. "We don't want to take any more chances."
article sent by Melissa, 18 Sept.
ASP RETURNS TO THE STAGE
LONDON: A foot long asp which disappeared before its debut appearance in the
National Theatre's flagship autumn season production of Shakespeare's
Antony and Cleopatra has been found.
In the play's climax Cleopatra - played by Helen Mirren - commits
suicide by letting the snake bite her. Two weeks ago the black and
yellow reptile - dubbed Cedric by staff, went missing from his secure
box at the Olivier Theatre, London. On Saturday, Cedric suddenly
slithered across the floor of the costume room.
article sent by Claire
MIRREN'S SNAKE SLITHERS BACK
Press Association Newsfile
September 20, 1998, Sunday
Section: Home News
A snake which disappeared before its debut appearance in a play starring Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman has been found. The 1ft-long asp has a starring part in the National Theatre's flagship autumn season production of Shakespeare's Anthony and Cleopatra. In the play's climax Cleopatra - played by Prime Suspect star Helen - commits suicide by letting the snake bite her.
Two weeks ago the black and yellow reptile, dubbed Cedric by staff, went missing from his secure box at the Olivier Theatre. On Saturday, Cedric suddenly slithered across the floor of the costume room, horrifying staff. Now he is back in his box and is set to resume his part in The Sean Mathias-directed production scheduled to start on October 20.
A
spokesman said: "Certainly most people would give their eye teeth to be on
stage with Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman. "But Cedric is definitely shy of
the stage - we're now working hard to get his
confidence up in time for his big day. "We got a second snake to stand in
for Cedric and our only worry is that his replacement may be rather
disappointed."
article sent by Rebecca
THESPIAN ASP BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT
A SNAKE that disappeared before its début appearance in a play starring Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman has been found - coincidentally just as tickets for the play, which opens next month, go on sale.
The foot-long asp has a starring part in the National Theatre's autumn season production of Anthony and Cleopatra. In the play's dramatic climax Cleopatra, played by Mirren, commits suicide by allowing the venomous serpent to bite her.
But strangely, just two weeks before tickets were due to go on sale, the black and yellow snake, nicknamed Cedric, went missing. Cedric, one of a non-venomous breed, was being kept in a secure box in a production room backstage at the Olivier Theatre. Notices and loudspeaker announcements asked staff to be on the look-out, but to no avail - until yesterday.
A member of staff got the shock of her life when Cedric suddenly appeared
from among a pile of clothes in the costume room.
article sent by Claire
Editor's note: Grateful fans from around the world breathe a sigh of relief, and remember the words Mr. Rickman said, when playing Col. Brandon in Sense and Sensibility,
"For there is nothing lost, but may be found, if sought . . ."
THE LONG-AWAITED CEDRIC INTERVIEW
Copyright 1998 Telegraph Group Limited
The Daily Telegraph
September 22, 1998, Tuesday
by OLIVER PRITCHETT
CEDRIC, the asp which disappeared in the National Theatre a fortnight ago, turned up again at the weekend in the costume room, in time for its appearance in the production of Antony and Cleopatra with Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman opening at the Olivier Theatre next month. There were rumours that Cedric's disappearance was a slither-out after rows with other members of the cast and that he had refused to show up to rehearsals until certain demands had been met. People have spoken of tantrums and there were reports that Cedric had complained of being treated "like some sort of common viper".
I put these points to the celebrity asp when I interviewed him at the theatre yesterday. Cedric laughed and flicked his forked tongue in the way that has become a trade mark.
"What you have to remember about me is that I am totally non-venomous. I'm just not into that theatrical bitchery thing, sinking your fangs into people, and all that. I am just here to do a job of work." Easing his foot-long yellow and black body into a more comfortable position on the sofa, he added: "Helen and I are great mates. We go back a long way. And Alan is a super bloke. I think the three of us are learning a lot, drawing a lot of strength from each other in this production."
Cedric is very much one of the "new breed" of theatrical snake. His performances are more controlled and he does not go in for all the hammy writhings and coilings of the old school. Similarly, he insists, he is not interested in the trappings of stardom.
"People have suggested that I was hissed off because I was kept in a box backstage and did not have a dressing room of my own," he said. "That is a load of total half-digested frog. I was quite happy with the box. It was a place where I could be comfortable with my asp-ness."
In interviews he has often spoken of his need to keep in touch with his roots, with his old arid habitat. I pressed him about his mysterious disappearance in the middle of rehearsals. There had been some talk of "artistic differences" and I wondered if he had been getting on with the director. "He seems a perfectly able chap," Cedric replied, though he seemed to have difficulty in remembering the director's name. "I think perhaps we had different ideas about interpreting the play. To me, Antony and Cleopatra is very much a play about snakes. I play an asp with a terrible dilemma: I have this awesome power of life and death with the venom in the sac by my fangs. Should I use this power to kill the Queen of Egypt? Obviously it is something I would be really tormented about."
Cedric, apparently had suggested a bit of "business" in Act V Scene two when the asp would clearly be in agony about whether it should bite Cleopatra's breast and might, indeed, decide to refuse to do so. He had also suggested an appearance in an earlier scene, so that the audience could relate to the asp and empathise with its problem. "Shakespeare would have thought about the inherent conflicts in a snake," he said. "He would probably have come across a lot of adders on his walks beside the Avon at Stratford." Cedric sighed. "The director disagreed," he said. "It's no big deal".
In the past, you have made quite a name for yourself playing the serpent in Garden of Eden films, I reminded him. Cedric laughed. "Nobody could say they had great artistic merit, but they were a lot of fun," he said. "It was nice to get a chance to play the villain and it paid the bills."
His next venture is to direct and star in his own film. "It's a Western, but a Western with a serious purpose," he said. "I get to play a rattlesnake - which will mean hours in make-up, of course - but it's important to me, to try to help people have a better understanding of rattlesnakes. Up to now, they have been treated very much as outcasts. I want to change all that."
Finally, I asked Cedric: Would you ever consider shedding your skin on stage, if a director asked you to do so? "Of course I would," he replied, "If it was for something I believed in." He slid down off the sofa and made for the door. "Actually, it might work rather well in my big scene in this play. I'll go and suggest it to the director."
Article sent by Rebecca, and forwarded by Melissa, who said, Oliver Pritchett's earned the Cleo award for his coverage!
(Following the publication of the Oliver Pritchett interview in The Daily Telegraph, The Unofficial Cedric The Asp Fan Page has received an update from a fan, which you can read on The "C" Files)
From the Hollywood News of the World,
Director Seam Mathias is auditioning actors for yet another principal member of the Royal National Theatre’s cast of Antony and Cleopatra to need replacement. Actor Alan Bates, who suffered a pulled ligament last August prior to the start of rehearsals, was replaced by Alan Rickman. Now Cedric, who was to play the asp, has unexpectedly withdrawn from the production, allegedly over artistic differences.
Actress Helen Mirren, who plays Cleopatra, denies any rumors that Cedric had constantly argued over playwright William Shakespeare’s stage instructions, to an asp, which [Cleopatra] applies to her breast, and another to her arm. “Cedric has always been a consummate professional”, Ms Mirren has told reporters, “and did not even complain that some of the staff referred to him as ‘it’ ". Cedric, other cast members say, has brought new insights to his role of a cold-blooded killer who Cleopatra mistakenly calls “a poor venomous fool”.
Cedric, a reclusive but world-renowned method actor, recently won an award at the Culebra International Film Festival for his work in the remake of the cult-favorite Olivia De Haviland film The Snake Pit. Cedric, who is scheduled to be on location next January as the leading man of the latest Hollywood remake of the 1950’s classic Splendor In The Grass, could not be reached for comment. His publicist would neither deny nor confirm that Cedric and Pretty Woman Julia Roberts might be staying at Free Willy Keiko’s splendid new Icelandic home.
Cedric and MP Glenda Jackson during a recent night on the town
Is Cedric British . . .?
“He is not, of course, British, but my understanding is that he is intending to take out naturalisation papers, so I think we can anticipate the outcome of that application . . . as he does have visible means of support (and, of course Miss Mirren putting in a word or two on his behalf), he'll definitely be a Brit soon.”
Almeida Announces Upcoming Production
LONDON: The Almeida Theatre Organization has announced the ticket office is open for its upcoming production of the Radical Theater new adaptation of Ben Jonson’s (see photo) Elizabethan play, The Devil Is An Ass, which is now retitled The Devil Is An Asp. The controversial change “was made after a great deal of deliberation”, according to an Almeida spokesperson, “and reflects the new production’s update of the classic play for the ‘90’s”.
Cedric The Asp will play the title character, the Almeida spokesperson verified. The theater would not confirm if Cedric‘s former Antony And Cleopatra
co-star, Alan Rickman, would reprise the character he created with “a fine beaky grace” in Peter Barnes’s adaptation of the Jonson play.
Cedric, posing incognito for a handbag advertisement featured in The New York Times Magazine, Sept. 13, 1998
New! Read the chronicles of the (mostly fictional) investigation on where Cedric really went: THE "C" FILES The truth is out there . . . somewhere!
For more on Cedric, read what the fans have to say, CEDRIC: THE ASP, THE LEGEND
The Rickmanista Review
Photos of Alan Rickman's hands courtesy of Suzanne and Chris
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