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current news…

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What Rupert is up to…

Rupert is:

  • unfortunately on an expected holiday! Dear Evan Hansen, along with other West End shows, has closed down for now, due to the current pandemic. I’m so sorry for everyone affected by this closure, including the theatre staff as well as the cast and the audiences.
  • a nominee for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical in the Olivier Awards for his role as Larry Murphy!!! Dear Evan Hansen scored a total of seven nominations, including Best New Musical, with Jack Loxton (who plays Jared Kleinman) also nominated in the same category as Rupert.
  • (probably) featured to some extent in the new volume from Nick Hern Books: Dear Evan Hansen: The Complete Book and Lyrics (West End edition). I’m not sure how much Rupert-related goodness is in there, but he did suggest to me that I keep an eye out for it. Though I’m sure he knows I’m a completist, so that might not be a general recommendation! Available from: Nick Hern Books.
  • (probably) appearing at the 20th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards Concert on Sunday 1 March 2020, as the DEH West End cast perform the song “You Will Be Found”. More info: article with link to ticket sales.
  • appearing in the West End production of Dear Evan Hansen, as Larry Murphy, Zoe and Connor’s dad. Golly gosh! This is at the Noel Coward Theatre with previews from 29 October 2019, opening on 19 November, with tickets currently selling through to May 27 June 2020. More info: official website and tickets.
  • appearing as Marcus in the film The Secret Garden, with Colin Firth as Lord Archibald Craven and Julie Walters as Mrs Medlock. Current release date is 16 April 2020. update: I’ve embedded a “teaser trailer” below, which alas doesn’t feature our Rupert. The awesome thing for Merlin fans is that it was partly filmed at Puzzlewood!

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The following entries have been updated:

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causes

Open letter re support for UK theatre (2020)

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An open letter has been sent to the UK Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Secretary of State for Culture, that begins: “We are concerned that British theatre is on the brink of ruin.”

There are reports that 70% of theatre venues will run out of money by the end of 2020 due to the restrictions necessary in response to the current pandemic. The letter calls for the UK government to help support the theatres and their workforce, and ensure the future of the theatre industry.

Rupert has signed the letter, along with his fellow nominees for the Olivier Awards. This includes a number of Rupert’s Dear Evan Hansen colleagues, Cassidy Janson (in Company with Rupert) and Colin Morgan (in Merlin with Rupert).

At this stage, the Dear Evan Hansen production is closed until 1 August 2020, and has been since mid March.

You can read commentary and the text of the letter at WhatsOnStage, The Guardian, and other news sites.

random

Rupert Young is my Favourite Doctor Who (2020)

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The inimitable Noodle Snake recorded an amusing podcast which all began with her purchase of a Showmasters poster featuring our own dear Rupert.

Listen in to all the confusions of her Quest to work out why the poster credits Rupert with work in both Merlin and Doctor Who! This very website receives several honourable mentions!! I feel like we’ve punched through to the next level of fame!!! (Or was that infamy?)

Thank you kindly, Noodle mate! I was in need of cheering up today, for sure. ♥

appearances

Mental Health Awareness Month (2020)

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Rupert, along with other members of the Dear Evan Hansen family, took part in this video supporting Mental Health Awareness Month.

There is also a link to an open letter you can sign,  which asks world leaders to “protect and scale up mental health support in all COVID-19 responses”.

Rupert’s part in the script is: “Our world is not equipped to respond to this global mental health crisis. It wasn’t before the pandemic, and it isn’t now.”

You will be found.

appearances

Quiz Night with Bradley James (2020)

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Our awesome King Arthur, Bradley James, hosted an online Merlin quiz – partly to help entertain us during the COVID-19 quarantine and partly to help raise money for a noble cause. He invited the Knights of the Round Table to participate, so we ended up blessed with a mini online convention, with special guests Rupert (Sir Leon), Tom Hopper (Sir Percival), Tomiwa Edun (Sir Elyan) and Eoin Macken (Sir Gwaine).

The chosen charity was Redemption Paws @RedemptionPaws, a Toronto-based non-profit organisation focused on helping dogs in disaster situations. We raised over $15,000 (Canadian) for them, which is utterly awesome!

Bradley kindly uploaded a recording of the quiz to his YouTube channel, which was such a relief to people like me who regretted missing out on the fun! (I live in Australia, and I unwisely let the 4 a.m. start time dissuade me from participating.) Here’s the link:

Rupert was, of course, his usual funny and charming self, and proved himself delightfully human to boot! I mean to say… drinking what appeared to be a beer, saying “fuck”, and announcing he was off to have a wee. You’d be forgiven for thinking he isn’t a minor deity after all! I love the quarantine beard, but his lovely hair is still short, as contractually required by Dear Evan Hansen.

It was a joy to see all the knights gathered together once more, and to see them enjoying not only their own company but also ours. Tomiwa used a few Merlin and location photos as his background. Rupert changed his shirt a few times, as did Bradley – and Eoin gradually stripped away layers to reveal something pink and sultry… Oh my. The Merlin Family Rules!

The quiz had some easy questions, but also some harder ones. I think I would have got all but 2 or 3 – but who knows what silly choices I might have made at that time of the morning! Most people did very well, with only a handful of questions attracting a number of “alternate” choices.

I’ve included some screen captures below, but of course please do yourself the proverbial favour and watch the video itself.

Thank you, everyone, for taking part!

Rupert, soon after he was introduced, and still making sure his settings were right.
One by one the Knights arrive – and change shirts and beanies…
awards

Olivier Awards (2020)

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The Olivier Awards has just announced their nominations for 2020. Our Rupert has been nominated as one of four actors in the category Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for his role as Larry Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen.

DEH West End picked up a total of seven nominations, including Best New Musical, and Best Actor in a Musical for Sam Tutty (Evan Hansen). Jack Loxton (Jared Kleinman) was also nominated in the same category as Rupert. The Murphy family did well, with Lucy Anderson (Zoe Murphy) and Lauren Ward (Cynthia Murphy) both nominated in the category Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical.

You can read the full list of nominations here on the London Theatre site. The award ceremony is scheduled for Sunday 5 April.

Fingers, toes and eyes crossed for a win for Rupert! ♥

appearances, fan photos

London Comic Con Spring (2020)

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Rupert was a guest at London Comic Con Spring on Sunday 1 March, along with Tom Hopper (Percival in Merlin) who was there on both days.

My awesome friend Karen shared these photos from Rupert and Tom’s panel. You can see more via her Flickr account.