Hub patron nominated for award at Cannes!
14/06/2010
Lesley has been patron of The Hub since September 2009
Lesley Manville, patron of The Hub Theatre, was short-listed for a Best Actress award at the world famous Cannes film festival in May. The award is in recognition of her portrayal of 'Mary' in Mike Leigh's comedy drama 'Another Year', which was nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or prize.
'Another Year' premiered on 15 May at the festival to international rave reviews, with many film critics citing it as one of BAFTA-winning Leigh's best works to date. The film looks at the lives of happily married, middle-aged couple Tom, played by Jim Broadbent, and Gerri played by Ruth Sheen, who are plagued with the troubles of their family and friends, and in particular, Lesley Manville's character, Mary. Lesley says "Mary's a women trying to have a positive outlook on life but as the film goes on, we see she's lonely, bruised and is struggling to keep her head above water. And she drinks too much."
Although she missed out on the Best Actress award in the end to Juliette Binoche, for her role in Abbas Kiarostami's 'Certified Copy', Manville's performance in 'Another Year' has earned high praise from international critics. The Independent and The Times both gave the film four stars, and The Telegraph awarded the film a maximum five stars!
The buzz surrounding the film has led to speculation that 'Another Year' might gain the lead actress a coveted Oscar nomination, with Lesley herself saying "This is a very exciting time in my career. I have been working hard for many years and it is a joy to get recognition at this level." Director Mike Leigh spoke of his admiration for her work in the film, saying "She is one of the great actresses and I want her to be much celebrated for her contribution." Sony films have bought the distribution rights for America, and it is due for release signalling exciting times ahead. Lesley says "This is very exciting as it opens up the US market. I'm so looking forward to promoting the film in America and indeed the rest of the world. But first we will have a Gala screening at the London Film festival in October which will be wonderful".
As patron of The Hub Theatre, Lesley Manville has not only visited the campus on several occasions, but students also recently enjoyed a trip to London's West End to see her perform in 'Six Degrees of Separation'. Jonathan Goodwin, Artistic Director of The Hub, and Course Leader for Performing Arts at Central Sussex College said "The College is honoured to have someone of Lesley's stature in the profession as our Patron, we are so thrilled that Lesley has been recognised for her outstanding performance, and this adulation for her enormous skill as an actor is well overdue. Lesley was recently at the College talking about her last theatre role in 'Six Degrees of Separation' which the students were lucky enough to see at the Old Vic in London. Her experience and insight into the world of theatre and film is priceless to our students, and The College will be organising a visit to see the film when it goes on general release on 5th November this year. And of course we all have our fingers crossed for that Oscar nomination!"
