Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Prince Edward Theatre, London
Cast: Tom Hanks & Hannah Waddingham
Exploring why he wanted to capture the changes in America and American culture over the past 80 years, Hanks will share the inspiration behind his colourful cast of characters. Taking the audience behind the scenes and offering a glimpse into how a story becomes a finished film, Hanks will also touch on how he drew on his own career in Hollywood.
Tom Hanks is one of the greatest actors of our generation so when an evening with the man himself was announced, I booked tickets instantly. The event was to celebrate the release of his first novel, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece. Every ticket came with a copy of the book itself, which I'm very excited to read.
The event was hosted by the incredibly talented, Hannah Waddingham, which was a wonderful surprise for the audience. We were treated to a few readings from the book; all acted gloriously by Tom. In those particular moments, you could hear a pin drop, which in theatre nowadays is unheard of!
He spoke about his work and offered stories and anecdotes about his time in the industry; mentioning just a few films from his repertoire. Sleepless in Seattle, Forrest Gump, Big and The Polar Express - to name but a few.
He was both charismatic and magnetising to watch. A particular highlight of the evening was Tom and Hannah singing the iconic Ice Cream Song from Big. You could tell Hannah was a genuine fan of Tom's work (who isn't?!) and it showed with the thought and care in her questions.
The 90 minutes went by in the blink of an eye and it was better than I could have imagined. It was a not-so-gentle reminder as to why this man is such an (inter!)national treasure.
Have you read The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece? I would love to know your thoughts!
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