Throat Infection Sidelines Gone With the Wind's Paice
By Mark Shenton
25 Apr 2008
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Jill Paice in rehearsal.
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| photo by Catherine Ashmore | Jill Paice, the American actress playing Scarlett O'Hara in the newly opened production of Gone With the Wind at the New London Theatre, appeared on opening night April 22, but has missed the subsequent three scheduled performances – two on Wednesday and another on Thursday.
A press spokesperson told Playbill.com that Paice "has a throat infection, which is being treated. The doctor advised her not to perform on Wednesday and last night." Playbill.com has also learned that Paice will not perform Friday, April 25 but "all things being equal, will be back [Saturday, April 26] for both matinee and evening shows."
Wednesday evening's performance (April 23) was a second press night, and though the performance went ahead with understudy Savannah Stevenson playing the part, the second night critics were postponed.
According to the spokesperson, Stevenson had not had a great deal of preparation before she was forced to tackle the role. She did not, however, require prompting and received a standing ovation at the Wednesday matinee.
The production of Gone With the Wind has been beset with difficulties: The first scheduled preview on April 4 was canceled due to illness, and a subsequent preview on April 15 was also canceled on short notice to accommodate extra technical and rehearsal time.
Directed by Trevor Nunn — who previously directed Paice in the original London production of The Woman in White (Paice subsequently reprised the role of Laura Fairlie in New York) — Gone With the Wind also stars Darius Danesh as Rhett Butler.
To book tickets call the box office at 0870 890 0141; for more information visit www.gwtwthemusical.com.
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