Tag Archives: queen

Stand Up… You’re Rockin’ This Boat! Brian May Attends Royal Caribbean’s Production of ‘We Will Rock You’ On-board Inaugural Anthem Of The Seas Cruise

Posted on by

 Imagine this… stepping out of your suite on-board Royal Caribbean’s inaugural sailing of Anthem of the Seas two hours before curtain-up, closing the door and swinging around to be face-to-face with Brian May, snuggling lovingly into the

neck of his partner, Anita Dobson, as they walked along the corridor, only for her to turn and look me straight in the eye and say, in her Eastenders cock-er-ney accent…

“‘ello darlin’, you alright?” 

At that point, I knew this performance was going to be special… the cast were playing, tonight, to the Master himself.  This company had to nail it.11140331_10152954323263031_2502614644469839633_n[1]

I sit in the front row, I always sit in the front row, perhaps too close but I need to feel the emotion and the effort put in by the cast.  Months of rehearsal, careful application of costume and make-up cannot be wasted on a seat further back in the auditorium… just a general synopsis is not my style, I have to feel a production… cast vs me – game on.

 

VIS_3115 VIS_3057 VIS_3068

Transferring a production from the West End to a cruise ship is no mean feat, the word ‘logistics’ is holy.  Fact one – you’re in the middle of the ocean, if anything ‘kicks off’, evacuation is gradual and there’s nowhere to run.  Fact two – the dressing rooms for the cast and the storage for the sets have to be compact and very bijou.  Fact Three – your audience is multi-cultural upon each sailing – colloquial ad-libs and audience cognition of dialects and comedic one-liners differs, depending on your demographic.  I could punctuate with more ‘facts’, but you get the gist… it’s difficult and this performance had to prove it was possible to bring one of the most successful productions from the West End to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines..

I sat with Brian May’s eyes searing deep into my neck, haunting Mercury tones in my ears, the curtain went up…

VIS_3094VIS_3097

We Will Rock You (often abbreviated as WWRY) is a musical based on the songs of Queen with a book by Ben Elton, a storyline set 300 years in the future. The musical tells the story of a group of Bohemians who struggle to restore the free exchange of thought, fashion, and live music in a distant future where everyone dresses, thinks and does the same. Musical instruments and composers are forbidden, and rock music is all but unknown.

Although the musical was at first panned by critics, it has become an audience favourite, becoming the longest-running musical at the Dominion Theatre, celebrating its tenth anniversary on 14 May 2012.  The London production closed on 31 May 2014 after a final performance in which Brian May and Roger Taylor both performed.

 

 

 VIS_3119

 VIS_3133

I have to open with the Royal Caribbean band, they had this sewn up, the cast were in capable hands and nurtured through every track.  Impeccable to the point of perfect interpretation of the true heartbeat of Queen, difficult to acclaim highly enough.

VIS_3142

VIS_3143

Amanda Coutts played Scaramouche, a sarcastic, hard-bitten cynical girl and Galileo’s love interest. A rebel, deeply introverted and complex, a goth teenager, an awkward loner, a misfit. She uses her self-deprecating wit to cover her sensitivity and vulnerability, brittle, hard and bitter, headstrong and stubborn,defensive. Amanda’s Romford-esque delivery enthralled the audience, perfect timing, cutting script, all made sense, making the character charmingly sweet with a vicious edge.

VIS_3147

Killer Queen (Allyson Kaye Daniel), the villain, an iconic figure, ruler of the world with an amazing rock/soul voice. She’s camp, sexy, voluptuous, feisty, funny, powerful and power crazy, ruthless, the BOSS. Every man’s dream of an older woman with a strong bi-slant.  Allyson carried this character to the extreme, gorgeous and so 80’s-inspired… sexy!

VIS_3158

Khashoggi (Preston Hammond), Killer Queen’s second-in-command, the head of Globalsoft’s police and carries out Killer Queen’s dirty work. A smooth operator, ruthless and heartless, attractive, sophisticated, intelligent, sinister, cruel, cold but charming.  Preston’s interpretation of this character had me enthralled, secretly my favourite.  Enticing with a ‘Las Vegas’ kind of spin. I wanted to know more about this character and doors were left open… very enticing. VIS_3178

‘Pop’ doubles as the Rebel Leader of the Bohemian movement, a rather pompous figure who has made himself an expert on the legend of rock and is perhaps a bit too pleased about it!  An elderly librarian trying to figure out the exact date the music died. Bar man, ex-rebel, a hippie stand-up comic, a cross between George Carlin and Robin Williams. Pop is worldly with a natural curiosity and passion for life and music.

I met Kevin Kennedy back in January when he was appearing in Norwich Theatre Royal’s pantomime production of ‘Peter Pan’, playing the evil Captain Hook, and it was during our conversation that he enlightened me of the forthcoming production aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s Anthem of the Seas, playing the part of Pop, following his highly successful run at the Dominion Theatre, London.

The words ‘Kevin Kennedy – Family Man’ run through the core of Kevin like a Blackpool stick of rock – his family values are never far away from his thoughts and the household of three giddy females rocks his world.  A Mancunian, married to Clare, became infamous as  the character ‘Curly Watts’ in ITV’s Coronation Street, falling in and out of skittish catastrophes, including the scatterbrain marriage to Raquel Watts (Sarah Lancashire).  Kevin appeared for 20 years in the UK’s longest-running television soap as the UK’s favourite supermarket-worker.  Kevin and Claire now live in Brighton with their two beautiful girls, and promoting their alcohol recovery charity Addiction Management UK Limited.  As I disembarked, the family were due to join Kevin for a few days, and to say he was excited… an understatement.  Life on the floating city makes you value your family and home, Kevin was certainly feeling the draw.

VIS_3181 VIS_3191 VIS_3195  VIS_3202

VIS_3236

If the costumes didn’t give it away, then the music certainly did.  So slash up your pussy bows and consign your neat little A-line skirt right to the back of the wardrobe… the 80’s aggro chic, cod mod, naughty fashion and punk frock – aggro chic, was played out  with a vengeance.  The costume design of the production thrived on schizophrenic tension and the ‘up yours’ style was the perfect Hyde to ladylike chic’s Jekyll.  Inky black ‘goth’ lips, distressed suits and long silver chains, spiky hair and heavy black eyeliner… every street style from punk to goth to mod to rudeboy to biker was plundered with all the enthusiasm of Sid Vicious raiding the minibar at the Chelsea Hotel.

VIS_3239 VIS_3250 VIS_3271 VIS_3272 VIS_3277

 VIS_3283

VIS_3181

VIS_3447

VIS_3431 VIS_3411 VIS_3393

The supporting cast consolidated the production.  Every conceivable angle, from the audience’s point of view, was covered.  Enthusiasm, professionalism, vocal co-ordination and costume intricacy was accomplished to perfection.

 

 

 

VIS_3377 VIS_3361 VIS_3305 VIS_3299

VIS_3297

Galileo (Alex DeLeo), a young man, a rebel and the central character.  Attractive and sexy, vulneraable, sensitive and doesn’t really fit in, restless, headstrong and stubborn.  Tense, living on his nerves, a dreamer.  Alex vividly portrayed a young man, a dreamer, on a mission to accomplish something with his life, trying to find the right way to fulfil his dreams.  This character required strength but with a thread of vulnerability which Alex completely radiated.

VIS_3028

VIS_3030

VIS_3034

VIS_3040

VIS_3043

VIS_3046

VIS_3055

The production, produced by Alex Marchant, directed by Tony Edge with Tim Hammond as Musical Director, under the management of Nick Weir, Vice-President of Entertainment for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, achieved a challenging goal, to put a superior show on the high seas, achieved previously so successfully on the safe ground of blighty, without running adrift with logistical anomalies associated with cruise productions.

And what did Brian think?

He joined the cast on-stage at the end of the performance and was visibly moved … the new production of ‘We Will Rock You’ is in safe hands.

11136772_10152954323618031_1680673194984874379_n[1] 11196289_10152954323768031_7194093257688819511_n[1]

Images copyright Shane Finn at Visual Devotion

www.visual-devotion.co.uk

 

 

 

Royal Caribbean Productions creates, produces, and manages the largest premium entertainment operation at sea! From full Broadway musicals, to Las Vegas style production shows, and even ice and aqua spectaculars; no single production company provides more exciting opportunities to both entertainer and audience member. Our core team is always seeking the best talent from around the world as we constantly strive to create inspiring shows, events, and spectaculars onboard Royal Caribbean International and Azamara Club Cruises.

At Royal Caribbean Productions you will find so much more than a gathering place of unparalleled talent, but also a comfortable working environment created specifically to foster new talent alongside seasoned professionals from every background. The production staff consist of award-winning creative professionals from Broadway and West End Theaters, to Broadcast TV and Film, and even Themed Entertainment, they strongly believe that bringing together different points of view and challenging themselves everyday is the only way to consistently create the future of the Cruise Entertainment Industry.

www.royalcaribbeanproductions.com/

About Brian May…

Brian Harold May, is a British musician, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band . He uses a home-built electric guitar, called the Red Special. His compositions for the band include “We Will Rock You“, “Tie Your Mother Down“, “I Want It All“, “Fat Bottomed Girls“, “Flash“, “Who Wants to Live Forever” and “The Show Must Go On“.

He was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2005 for “services to the music industry and for charity work”.  Brian attained a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College in 2007 and was Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University from 2008 to 2013.  He is an active animal rights advocate and was appointed a vice-president of animal welfare charity the RSPCA in September 2012.

In 2005, a Planet Rock poll saw May voted the 7th greatest guitarist of all time.  He was ranked at No. 26 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time“.  In 2012, May was ranked the 2nd greatest guitarist of all time by  Guitar World

www.brianmay.com

About Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas…

Actors Who Make Their Own Work

Posted on by

actors who make their own work, lake bell, tina fey, kristen wiig, greta gerwig, lake bell, brit marling, vin diesel. The rumour that acting is the hardest and most brutal industry in the world is unfortunately true, I have been an actor now for over 10 years. Yikes. Along the way I have realised that the only way to have a brilliant career is to write and produce your own stuff. Which is what I did with Prose & Cons. It is currently being edited.

If you want to be inspired, here is our list of the Top Actors Who Make Their Own Work.

Brit Marling

This American producer, director, writer and actress caused a stir with Another Earth. She was only 27 at the time. Now 30 and with 13 films under her belt. She was even on the front cover of Vanity Fair’s prestigious Hollywood edition. She has written four films and directed one.

Check out these personal quotes from her IMDB page:

“I always started writing in order to act. I don’t know that I could have the discipline to sit down and write if I was going to give it away. That would be too hard. But I love to act in stories that are outside my imagination because I can only conceive of so many things from my point of view. The thing that’s intoxicating about being an actor is that you get to live in someone else’s world for a while and I hope to do more of that. But I think I’ll never stop writing now because I’m wondering why there aren’t more representatives of women that are like the women we know. Where’s the film with the women who are complicated and strong and beautiful and sexy and interesting and of all body types? You don’t get to see enough of them. So there’s something important in attempting to write them for myself and for the insanely talented women out there.”

“[on why she decided to become a screenwriter in relation to her being an actress] How terrifying to surrender your life to being chosen all the time. Having to be chosen and re-chosen. Writing so that I can act became a way of having not more control over my future but not having to wait for permission. You can choose yourself. Hmm, who should play this part? I nominate me!”

Mindy Kaling

Started out as a writer for The Office and even wrote a character for herself into the show. At the age of 34 Kaling has created her own show, The Mindy Project, and was named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2013.

Mindy knows she is different and makes fun of it: “I’m a minority chubby woman who has my own show on a network. I don’t know how long this is going to last!” She told Jon Stewart. She has 2.3million Twitter followers and refuses to diet.

Kaling wrote in her bestselling memoir Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me?: “I fall into that nebulous, quote-unquote, normal American woman size that legions of fashion stylists detest. For the record, I’m a size 8 — this week, anyway. Many stylists hate that size because I think to them, it shows that I lack the discipline to be an ascetic; or the confident, sassy abandon to be a total fatty hedonist.”

Emma Thompson

She wanted better roles so she wrote the screenplay for Sense and Sensibility, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel. The film got Thompson the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and a nomination for leading actress. She hasn’t looked back since. The 54-year-old has 60 films as an actor under her belt and another 12 as a writer.

Nia Vardalos

She kept losing out on roles so she wrote My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The film was a roaring success. Vardalos says: ‘I run into other actresses and we talk about the lack of parts for woman. At least I can write myself a part, which is an amazing skill to possess.”

Barbra Streisand

Streisand was the first woman to win a Golden Globe for directing after co-writing, directing and starring in Yentl. She was 41 and had already broken down a lot of barriers for woman. She started off as a nightclub singer and is now one of the most famous actress, singer, producer, director, actor and writers. Has never been afraid to send herself up. She has inspired generations of woman.

In her own words: “I arrived in Hollywood without having my nose fixed, my teeth capped, or my name changed. That is very gratifying to me.”

“To have ego means to believe in your own strength. And to also be open to other people’s views. It is to be open, not closed. So, yes, my ego is big, but it’s also very small in some areas. My ego is responsible for my doing what I do – bad or good.”

Lake Bell

The 34-year-old is making waves with her film, In A World. She has 35 credits to her name but made her own film this year. After being an actor for 11 years she sat down to write a script and won the prestigious Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival. She told Glamour Magazine: “When I first started auditioning in LA, I realised it was a clique; this guy’s got the monopoly on epics, this woman’s got the monopoly on tampon adverts. It was the perfect environment for a modern comedy.” “I wanted to make a movie’, she went on, “so I wrote a part for myself.”

“Being willing to outsource all of your creative decisions, especially to a first-timer like me, is very ballsy. I had no other choice than to make it the way I made it. And I felt very supported in that. When you write and direct your own film you basically know exactly what you want. Or you hope to. For the studio, it actually can make life a little easier, because if you have a bunch of questions they only need to call one person.”

Kristen Wiig

While Kristen had been in many films and was a regular on Saturday Night Live, she never really broke out until Bridesmaids. Kristen co-wrote and starred in Bridesmaids which was one of the biggest hits of 2011, taking $300 million at the box office and was credited for turning the tide for women in film. She has an amazing 60 credits to her name and we get the feeling the that she is just getting started.

In her own words: “If you’re creating anything at all, it’s really dangerous to care about what people think”. She also states that woman are asked their age more than men.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

They wrote Good Will Hunting and won an Oscar. They rest is movie star history.

Vin Diesel.

He couldn’t get the roles he wanted so he wrote a short film called Multi-Facials about being bi-racial. Steven Spielberg saw it and cast him in Saving Private Ryan. He is now a movie star and has a few franchises under his belt.

Lena Dunham

She made her first film in her parents New York apartment with a Canon 7D. Tiny Furniture was critically acclaimed and lead to the huge hit and cultural game-shifter, Girls. Still only 27-years-old but was 23 when she wrote, directed and starred in Tiny Furniture.

In her own words: “I was constantly preparing for auditions in a way that was crazy… and then I’d literally get cast as, like, a bouncing ball or a fat man or a security guard.”

Tina Fey

Made her name in Saturday Night Live and also is the creator, producer, star and writer of 30 Rock. She wrote a book called Bossy Pants and had two children. She returned to work not long after giving birth saying, “NBC has me under contract; the baby and I only have a verbal agreement’. Is their no end to her talents?

Greta Gerwig

Became known thanks to her association with the mumblecore film movement. The 30-year-old is the indie IT queen of the moment. Was brilliant in Lola Versus and stars in film-of-the-moment, Frances Ha, which she co-wrote with director boyfriend Noah Baumbach. Plays strong female characters.

 

What do you think?

Check out my new book, How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur, out now.  It tells you all about how to become a successful actor.

 

 

Queen reigns as Brits’ favourite workout music

Posted on by

DON’T STOP ME NOW

Queen reigns as Brits’ favourite workout music

New research reveals music helps us train significantly better at the gym

57% of fitness enthusiasts have claimed that music helps significantly with their performance when exercising according to new research by Tesco Phone Shop.

Just one in 20 (4%) fitness enthusiasts said music didn’t help with their performance at all.

The retailer conducted the research amongst Brits to celebrate the launch the iT7 range of wireless Bluetooth audio accessories, designed by former Aston Villa midfield Ian Taylor.

The findings of the research comes as no surprise to Dr Costas Karageorghis, a reader in sport psychology and deputy head of the School of Sport and Education at Brunel University in London who has spent 20 years conducting scientific research into the effects of music on sport and exercise.

Dr Karageorghis said:

“Music and sport have much in common: both are culturally pervasive, both are about good rhythm and both touch us emotionally.

“Athletes routinely tap the power of music as part-and-parcel of their training. Our research has shown that during exercise, well-selected music can reduce the perception of effort by as much as 12% and enhance mood by 10%. As well as using stimulative music during training, many athletes are discovering the recuperative benefits of calming music following a tough workout.”

Ian Taylor said:

“This research backs up exactly how I used music when training. It definitely helped my stamina, improved my concentration and boosted my performance.”

What is the person next to you at the gym listening to?

Have you ever wondered what the person next to you at the gym is listening to as they pound the treadmill? The research also looked at what songs it is we Brits like to listen to at the gym to get us pumping.

Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now topped the poll with 15% of votes followed by Survivor’s Eye Of The Tiger (14%) and Tina Turner’s The Best (8%).

As Brits embrace the summer of sport, pop music topped the training charts, with 29% saying it was the best type of music to exercise to, followed by dance music (26%) and rock (25%).

And when it comes to best bands for feeling the burn, Queen, Madonna and Lady Gaga were named as the biggest musical motivators in the gym.

Here are more of the figures:

Music Genre

· Pop – 29%

· Dance / house – 26%

· Rock – 25%

· RnB – 5%

· Classical – 3%

· Heavy metal – 3%

· Other – 8%

Artists

· 1. Queen

· 2. Madonna

· 3. Lady Gaga

· 4. Rihanna

· 5. Beyonce

· 6. David Guetta

· 7. Prodigy

· 8. LMFAO

· 9. Foo Fighters

· 10. Gorillaz

Here’s a breakdown of the top songs by gender and age:

· Queen – Don’t Stop Me Now was the most popular track overall and also with women – 16% of the female vote

· Survivor – Eye of the Tiger was the most popular track for men with 18% of the male vote

· For the 18-34 age group Survivor – Eye of the Tiger reigned supreme with 14% of the vote

· But the 35-54 and 55+ opted for Queen – Don’t Stop Me Now with 15% & 20% respectfully

· Tina Turner – Simply the Best was also popular with the 55+ age group with 16% of the vote

Queen’s 70s chart topper reigns supreme as the top tune to train to according to research by Tesco Phone Shop.

The retailer conducted the research amongst Brits to celebrate the launch of the new iT7 wireless audio range in store. Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now tops the poll with 15% followed by Survivor’s Eye Of The Tiger (14%) and Tina Turner’s The Best (8%).

As Brits embrace the summer of sport, pop music topped the training charts, with 29% saying it was the best type of music to exercise to, followed by dance music (26%) and rock (25%).

And when it comes to best bands for feeling the burn, Queen, Madonna and Lady Gaga were named as the biggest musical motivators in the gym.

The iT7 range of wireless Bluetooth audio accessories, designed by former Aston Villa midfield Ian Taylor are designed with sport in mind, providing crystal-clear sound without limiting movement – handy for the 57% of fitness enthusiasts claimed that music helped significantly with their performance when exercising.

This comes as no surprise to Dr Costas Karageorghis, a reader in sport psychology and deputy head of the School of Sport and Education at Brunel University in London. Dr Karageorghis, who has spent 20 years conducting scientific research into the effects of music on sport and exercise, said: “Music and sport have much in common: both are culturally pervasive, both are about good rhythm and both touch us emotionally.

“Athletes routinely tap the power of music as part-and-parcel of their training. Our research has shown that during exercise, well-selected music can reduce the perception of effort by as much as 12% and enhance mood by 10%. As well as using stimulative music during training, many athletes are discovering the recuperative benefits of calming music following a tough workout.”

Ian Taylor, former Aston Villa footballer and designer of the iT7 range, adds: “This research backs up exactly how I used music when training. It definitely helped my stamina, improved my concentration and boosted my performance. With this in mind, I’ve designed the iT7s sport in-ear headphones especially for use while working out, training and getting fit. Whatever your musical tastes may be, maximise your workout and feel like a fitness champion with a tune or two!”

The iT7s headphones are available at Tesco Phone Shop for £99, part of a range of Bluetooth-enabled headphones and mobile accessories.

Tracks to help you feel the burn

With a bumper summer for sporting activity ahead, the nation’s top 10 tracks to train to are:

11. Queen – Don’t Stop Me Now

12. Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger

13. Tina Turner – The Best

14. Scissor Sisters – I Don’t Feel Like Dancing

15. Eric Prydz – Call On Me

16. Irene Cara – Flashdance… What A Feeling

17. Lady Gaga – Born This Way

18. Katy Perry – Firework

19. LMFAO – Sexy And I Know It

20. Snap! – The Power

Are The Royal Family Worth It?

Posted on by

So are the Royal Family worth taxpayer’s money? As the recession starts to bite and unemployment rises it’s worth asking if we really need an unelected had of state that cost every person in Britain 69p. Frost wants to open up a debate on the Royal Family. Love them or hate them? Frost came across the video below that made us stop and wonder; should we rejoice that we have a Queen?

With Prince William and Catherine Middleton making royalty cool again and becoming more and more popular it seems that the royal family are having a resurgence. Posh has become cool again. Maybe we need more fantasy in our lives and the royal family gives us that.

Did the video change your mind? Are you a royalist or republican? Let us know.

Prince William Praises Queen For Help Planning Wedding

Posted on by

A new book about the Royal Family has revealed that when Prince William was first handed his wedding list, he did not know anyone on it.

The book, called Our Queen also reveals that the Queen advised him to bin the official guest-list for his wedding to Kate Middleton and start again.

He said: “I came into the first meeting for the wedding, post-engagement, and I was given this official list of 777 names – dignitaries, governors, all sorts of people – and not one person I knew. They said: “These are the people we should invite”.

“I looked at it in absolute horror and said, ‘I think we should start again’. I rang [The Queen] up the next day and said, ‘Do we need to be doing this?’ And she said, ‘No. Start with your friends first and then go from there’. And she told me to bin the list.”

“She made the point that there are certain times when you have to strike the right balance. And it’s advice like that, which is really key, when you know that she’s seen and done it before.”

He also revealed that it was the Queen that insisted her wore his Irish Guards uniform for the wedding.

Dame Helen Mirren "believes in fairies".

Posted on by

The 65-year-old actress describes herself as a “spiritual” person but admits she is not religious and doesn’t believe in God.

She said: “I am quite spiritual. I believed in the fairies when I was a child. I still do sort of believe in the fairies. And the leprechauns. But I don’t believe in God.”

The ‘Queen’ star also admitted she always carries her own tea bags whenever she has to travel anywhere in order to brew her favourite beverage.

She told America’s Esquire magazine: “I drink just as much tea when I’m in Los Angeles as I do when I’m in London. I take my tea bags with me wherever I go. PG Tips.”

Tea is not the only drink Helen enjoys – the actress thinks a good party required “lots and lots” of alcohol, though she doesn’t like throwing bashes herself.

She said: “I don’t throw a lot of parties. I find throwing parties a bit intimidating. What makes a good one? Loads and loads of drink, I suppose. But that can be a disaster as well.”

The actress – who is married to director Taylor Hackford – also admitted she was an “idiot” when she was younger, but thinks that is normal, and lamented the fact people are always filled with “self-doubt” in their twenties as it is the best time of life.

She added: “We’re all idiots when we’re young. We don’t think we are, but we are. So we should be.

“The hardest period in life is one’s twenties. It’s a shame because you’re your most gorgeous and you’re physically in peak condition. But it’s actually when you’re most insecure and full of self-doubt. When you don’t know what’s going to happen, it’s frightening.”

Michael Caine shared jokes with Queen

Posted on by


Sir Michael Caine once shared a joke-telling session with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth.

The 78-year-old actor portrays a 1966 Aston Martin in forthcoming movie ‘Cars 2’, which also features a vehicle in the likeness of the queen, and he thinks the monarch would love it because she has such a good sense of humour.

He said: “I think she’d react very well. She’s good fun.

“I sat next to her at a dinner once, and she suddenly turned to me and said, ‘Do you know any jokes?’ And I said, ‘Yes, but not many I could tell you, Your Majesty.’

“I said, ‘You tell me one while I think of one to tell you.’ ”

However, the veteran actor – who has appeared in more than 150 movies throughout his career -can’t remember the humorous retort she told him in response.

He added in an interview with the Daily Telegraph newspaper: “I can’t remember the joke she told me, but it was very funny. The Queen has an incredible sense of humour, a tremendous sense of fun.”

Syrian Ambassadors Invitation to Royal Wedding Revoked. Full Guestlist and Schedule.

Posted on by

The Syrian ambassador has been removed from guest list by the Foreign Office after hundreds were slaughtered in an uprising. Below is the full guest list and schedule.

Members of the British Royal Family

The Queen
The Duke of Edinburgh
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall
Prince Henry of Wales
The Duke of York
Princess Beatrice of York
Princess Eugenie of York
The Earl and Countess of Wessex
The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence
Mr and Mrs Peter Phillips
Miss Zara Phillips with Mr Mike Tindall
Viscount Linley and Viscountess Linley
And The Hon. Charles Armstrong-Jones
The Lady Sarah Chatto and Mr Daniel Chatto
And Master Samuel Chatto
And Master Arthur Chatto
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
The Earl and Countess of Ulster
The Lady Davina and Mr Gary Lewis
Lady Rose and Mr George Gilman
The Duke and Duchess of Kent
Earl and Countess of St Andrews
Lord Downpatrick
The Lady Marina-Charlotte Windsor
The Lady Amelia Windsor
The Lord and Lady Nicholas Windsor
The Lady Helen Taylor and Mr Timothy Taylor
Prince and Princess Michael of Kent
The Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor
The Lady Gabriella Windsor
Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy
Mr and Mrs James Ogilvy
Miss Marina Ogilvy
The Lady Saltoun
Members of Foreign Royal Families
The Prince and Princess of the Asturias
The Crown Prince of Bahrain
Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium
The Sultan of Brunei and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha
King Simeon II and Queen Margarita of the Bulgarian
The Queen of Denmark
King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece and Prince Constantine of Greece
Sheikh Ahmad Hmoud Al-Sabah of Kuwait
Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso and Princess Mabereng Seeiso of Lesotho
The Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia
Prince Albert II of Monaco and Miss Charlene Wittstock
Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco
The Crown Prince and Princess of The Netherlands
The King and Queen of Norway
Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman
The Emir of The State of Qatar and Sheika Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned
King Michael I of Romania and Crown Princess Margarita
Prince Mohamed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and Princess Fadwa bint
Khalid bin Abdullah bin Abdulrahman
The Queen of Spain
The King of Swaziland
The Crown Princess of Sweden and The Duke of Västergötland
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand
The King of Tonga
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia
The Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia
Dignitaries
The Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda
The Governor-General of Australia and His Excellency Mr Michael Bryce
The Governor-General of The Bahamas and Lady Foulkes
The Governor-General of Barbados
The Governor-General of Belize and Lady Young
The Governor-General of Canada and Mrs. David Jonhnston
The Governor-General of Jamaica
The Governor-General of New Zealand and Lady Satyanand
The Governor-General of Papua New Guinea and Mrs Michael Ogio
The Governor-General of the Solomon Islands and Lady Kabui
The Governor-General of St Christopher and Nevis
The Governor-General of St Lucia
The Governor-General of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Lady Ballantyne
The Prime Minister of Australia and Mr Tim Mathieson
The Prime Minister of The Bahamas and Ms Delores Miller
The Prime Minister of Barbados
The Prime Minster of New Zealand and Mrs. John Key
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and Lade Somare
The Prime Minister of Saint Lucia and Mrs. Rosalia Nestor King
The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and The Grenadines and Mrs Ralph Gonsalves
The Premier of Bermuda and Mr. Germain Nkeuleu
The Premier of The British Virgin Islands and Mrs Ralph O’Neal
The Premier of the Cayman Islands and Mrs Kerry Bush
The Hon Sharon and Mr. Rodney Halford (Falkland Islands)
The Chief Minister of Gibraltar and Mrs. Peter Caruana
The Chief Minister of Montserrat and the Reverend Doctor Joan Delsol Meade
The Hon John and Mrs. Vilma Cranfield (St Helena)
Members of Government, Parliament and Devolved Administrations
The Prime Minister and Mrs David Cameron
The Deputy Prime Minister and Ms Miriam Gonzalez Duantez
First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Mrs William Hague
The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Hon Mrs Osborne
The Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor and Mrs Kenneth Clarke
The Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Women and Equalities, and Mr Philip May
The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and Mrs Jeremy Hunt
The Rt Hon Ed Miliband, MP and Ms Justine Thornton
The Speaker of the House of Commons and Mrs John Bercow
The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales and the Lady Elis-Thomas
The Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament and Mrs Alex Fergusson
The Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Mrs William Hay
The Lord Speaker and Mr Martin Hayman
First Minister of Wales and Mrs Carwyn Jones
First Minister of Northern Ireland and Mrs Peter Robinson
First Minister of Scotland and Mrs Alex Salmond
The Mayor of London and Mrs. Boris Johnson
The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor and The Lady Mayoress
Sir Gus and Lady O’Donnell
The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of Westminster and Count Paolo Filo della Torre
Mr and Mrs Simon Fraser

Representatives from the Church and other Faiths
The Most Reverend Gregorious, Archbishop of the Greek Archdiocese of Thysteira and Great Britain
The Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs. Rowan Williams
Rabbi Anthony Bayfield
Mr Anil Bhanot
The Archbishop of Armagh, Cardinal Archbishop Sean Brady
Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, The Most Reverend David Chillingworth
The Right Reverend John Christie, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Mr. Malcolm Deboo President, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe
The Rt Reverend Doctor Norman Hamilton
The Archbishop of Armagh, The Most Reverend Alan Edwin Harper
Monsignor Philip Kerr, The Convener, Action of Churches Together in Scotland
Commissioner Elizabeth Matear, Salvation Army
The Archbishop of Wales, The Most Reverend Doctor Barry Morgan
The Reverend Gareth Morgan Jones, President of the Free Church Council of Wales
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-Connor
The Archbishop of Westminster, The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols
Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh
Rabbi Alan Plancey
Imam Mohammad Raza
The Chief Rabbi (Lord Sacks)
The Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, Acting Head Monk, The London Buddhist Vihara
Maulana Syed Raza Shabbarm, Muhammadi Trust
Mr Natubhai Shah, President, the Jain Academy
Dr Indarjit Singh, Director, Network Sikh Organisations (UK)
Canon Chirstopher Tuckwell
The Reverend Martin Turner
The Archbishop of York and Mrs John Sentamu

Senior Members of the Defence Services
Major General and Mrs William Cubitt, Major General Commanding Household Division and GOC London District
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen and Lady Dalton, Chief of the Air Staff General Sir Nicholas and Lady Houghton
Air Vice-Marshal the Hon. David and Mrs Murray, Defence Services Secretary
General Sir David and Lady Richards, Chief of the Defence Staff
Admiral Sir Mark and Lady Stanhope, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff
General Sir Peter and Lady Wall, Chief of the General Staff

Mr David Allan
David Allan is the Chairman of Mountain Rescue, England and Wales.
Major Tom Archer-Burton
Major Archer Burton was Prince William and Prince Harry’s Commanding Officer in the Household Cavalry.

Mr Charlie Mayhew
Charlie Mayhew is Chief Executive of the Conservation Charity, Tusk Trust.

Mrs Alison Moore-Gwyn
Alison Moore Gwyn is Chief Executive of Fields in Trust.

Mr Seyi Obakin
Seyi Obakin is Chief Executive of Centrepoint.

Mr Peter Cross
Peter Cross is Chief Executive of the charity SkillForce, of which Prince William has been Patron since 2009. E

Miss Amanda Berry
Amanda Berry is Chief Executive of Bafta.
Mrs Ann Chalmers
Ann Chalmers is Chief Executive of the Child Bereavement Charity.

Mrs Julia Samuel
Julia Samuel is Chair of the Child Bereavement Charity
.
Mrs Tessa Green
Tessa Green is former Chairman of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. f
Mr Simon Johnson
Simon Johnson worked closely with Prince William as Chief Operating Officer of the FA’s 2018 World Cup bid.
Sir Trevor Brooking
.
Sir Clive Woodward

Mr Gareth Thomas

Mr Ian Thorpe
Australian Olympic swimmer.
Mr Barty Pleydell-Bouverie

Rear Admiral Ian Corder
Rear Admiral Ian Corder is Rear Admiral of Submarines. Prince William was appointed Commodore-in-Chief of Submarines by The Queen in 2006.
Brigadier Ed Smyth-Osbourne

Major William Bartle-Jones

Wing Commander Steven Bentley

Sergeant Keith Best
Sgt Keith Best is a colleague of Prince William’s at RAF Valley, in Anglesey, North Wales.
Squadron Leader Paul Bolton
Sqn Ldr Paul Bolton is a colleague of Prince William’s at RAF Valley in Anglesey, North Wales.
Wing Commander Kevin Marsh
Wing Commander Kevin Marsh met Prince William through his service in the RAF.
Lance-Corporal Martyn Compton
Martyn is a Lance-Corporal in the Household Cavalry.
Miss Holly Dyer
Holly is sister to 2nd Lieutenant Joanna Dyer, who was killed by a bomb in Iraq in 2007.
Mrs Susie Roberts
Susie Roberts is the widow of Major Alexis Roberts, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2007.
Mr and Mrs Bryn Parry
Former soldier Bryn Parry and his wife Emma founded the charity Help for Heroes to assist wounded service men and women.
Mr Edward Gould
Mr Edward Gould was Master of Marlborough College whilst Miss Middleton was a student.
Dr Andrew Gailey
Dr Andrew Gailey is the Vice-Provost of Eton College and was Prince William’s Housemaster.
The Hon Edward Dawson-Damer

Mr Sam Stevenson

Sir John Major
Following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, Sir John Major was appointed a guardian to Prince William and Prince Harry with responsibility for legal and administrative matters.
Mr Rowan Atkinson
Friend of The Prince of Wales.
Mr Tom Bradby
Mr Ben Fogle

Sir Elton John

Mr and Mrs David Beckham

Mr Guy Ritchie

Miss Joss Stone

Mr Mario Testino

Miss Tara Palmer-Tomkinson

Mr Sam Waley-Cohen
Amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen is a friend of Prince William and Miss Middleton.

Mr Galen Weston
Canadians Galen and Hilary Weston are friends of The Prince of Wales and his family.

More than 1,000, of the guestlist are drawn from Prince William and Miss Middleton’s family and friends and more than 50 Members of the Royal Family;
Royal Wedding Schedule.
0815 and 0945: Guests arrive at the Great North Door of Westminster Abbey ahead of the 11am service.
From 0950: Distinguished guests arrive at the Abbey.

1010: Prince William and his best man Prince Harry leave Clarence House in a Bentley for Westminster Abbey, arriving five minutes later. The route between Buckingham Palace and the Abbey goes by The Mall, Horse Guards Road, Horse Guards Parade, through Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Square (the south side) and Broad Sanctuary.
1020: Foreign royal families arrive at the Abbey from Buckingham Palace.
1020: Kate Middleton and mother Carole Middleton and brother James Middleton leave the Goring Hotel for the Abbey.
1025: Members of the Royal Family leave Buckingham Palace for the Abbey, arriving at 1030.
1035: The following members of the Royal Family leave Buckingham Palace for the Abbey, arriving at 1040: The Duke of York, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence.

1038: The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall leave Clarence House, arriving at the Abbey at 1042.
1040: The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh leave Buckingham Palace, arriving at the Abbey at 1045.

1048: The bridesmaids and pages leave the Goring Hotel, arriving at the Abbey at 1055.
1051: The bride and her father Michael Middleton leave for Westminster Abbey in a Rolls Royce
1100: The marriage service begins and is relayed by speakers along the route. There will also be big screens in Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square.
1215: The carriage procession of the bride and groom with a Captain’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, followed by the Queen’s procession with a Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, leaves the Abbey for Buckingham Palace. The bride and groom will be in the 1902 State Landau, or the Glass Coach if it is raining.
1230: The bride’s carriage procession arrives at Buckingham Palace.
1240: Members of the Royal Family and members of foreign royal families arrive at Buckingham Palace.
From 1240: Other guests for the reception arrive at Buckingham Palace.
1325: The Queen and the bride and groom, together with their families, appear on the balcony.
1330: The Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight do a fly over.