Dickie Beau Explained

Richard Boyce, known professionally as Dickie Beau,[1] [2] is a British film and stage actor. His stage performances often involve lip-synching to archival audio recordings.[2] [3]

Early life

At the age of five, Beau played the Handsome Prince in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and knew he wanted to act. His childhood idols included Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe.[4]

Beau trained in drama at Manchester University, and subsequently worked in a Milan theatre company, Teatro della Contraddizione, whose work was inspired by Pina Bausch.[5]

Technique

Beau's use of lip-synching was inspired by the drag queen Suppositori Spelling, who he met in London in 2006.[6] [5] An additional inspiration for his technique was the journalist Richard Meryman.[7] [8] Beau sometimes lip-synchs to his own voice, sometimes to those of other performers.[9] [10] He calls the technique "rememberment",[6] [5] and it has also been described as "hauntological dramaturgy".[11]

Stage work

Year Title
2009 A Self Portrait
2013 This is Not A Dream
2012–2013 BLACKOUT: Twilight of the Idols[12] [13]
2013 Lost in Trans[14]
2014 Camera Lucida
2017–2023[15] [16] [17] Re-Member Me[18] [19] [20] [21]
2019 Botticelli in the Fire[22] [23]
2020-2021 Dick Whittington[24] [25] [26]
2022 The Tempest[27]
2022 ¡SHOWMANISM![28] [29] [30] [31]

Film performances

Year Title Role
2018 Georges Wague[32] [33]
2018 Kenny Everett
2019 Country of Hotels Talk Show Host
2021 The Real Charlie Chaplin Roddy McDowall

Awards

Personal life

Beau is openly gay, having known his sexual orientation from the age of around five or six.[38] Beau practises meditation.[38]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Arts Foundation | Beau, Dickie . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231201172228/https://artsfoundation.co.uk/directory/dickie-beau/ . December 1, 2023 . The Arts Foundation.
  2. News: O'Mahony . John . 28 October 2014 . Camera Lucida: A truly spine-tingling experience . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221129050202/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/oct/28/camera-lucida-dickie-beau-seance . November 29, 2022 . The Guardian.
  3. News: Green . Jesse . January 9, 2018 . In Solo Shows, Lip-Syncing ‘Hamlet’ and Investigating Homes Movies . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230118112136/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/theater/in-solo-shows-lip-syncing-hamlet-and-investigating-home-movies.html . January 18, 2023.
  4. Web site: 11 November 2015 . Dickie Beau: Blackouts . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240412144658/https://www.qxmagazine.com/2015/11/dickie-beau-blackouts/ . April 12, 2024 . qx Magazine.
  5. Web site: Bunbury . Stephanie . 12 October 2018 . Queer Hamlet haunts a lip-synched seance in Dickie Beau's Re-Member Me . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20181012121258/https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/queer-hamlet-haunts-a-lipsynched-seance-in-dickie-beaus-remember-me-20181008-h16cxa.html . October 12, 2018 . The Sydney Morning Herald.
  6. Web site: August 2022 . Read My Lips . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220815180737/https://totaltheatre.org.uk/read-my-lips/ . August 15, 2022 . TOTALTHEATRE.
  7. Web site: Run . Date . 5 June 2015 . Dickie Beau: Blackouts: Twilight of the Idols . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240412145314/https://totaltheatre.org.uk/dickie-beau-blackouts-twilight-of-the-idols/ . April 12, 2024 . TOTALTHEATRE.
  8. Web site: Walters . Ben . 2013-07-13 . Dickie Beau: in search of Marilyn Monroe's last words . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210423092152/https://www.timeout.com/london/cabaret/dickie-beau-in-search-of-marilyn-monroes-last-words . April 23, 2021 . 2024-04-12 . Time Out London . en-GB.
  9. News: Davis . Clive . ¡Showmanism! Review — the art of acting brilliantly dissected . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230218015304/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/showmanism-review-the-art-of-acting-brilliantly-dissected-zdmflf8x6 . February 18, 2023.
  10. News: Gardner . Lyn . 20 March 2017 . Re-Member Me review – a seance of Hamlets from O'Toole to Day-Lewis . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230603045540/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/mar/20/re-member-me-review-a-seance-of-hamlets-from-otoole-to-day-lewis . June 3, 2023 . The Guardian.
  11. The Politics of (In)Decision . 10.1080/13528165.2019.1718430 . 2019 . d'Cruz . Glenn . Performance Research . 24 . 8 . 44–52 .
  12. Web site: The Resurrection Game: How Dickie Beau Brought Marilyn and Judy Back To Life . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221003182115/https://www.thisiscabaret.com/the-resurrection-game-how-dickie-beau-brought-marilyn-and-judy-back-to-life/ . October 3, 2022 . This is Cabaret.
  13. Web site: Bennett . Sam . Beau on Blackouts, Botticelli and Bohemian Rhapsody - from OX Magazine . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231211191712/https://www.oxmag.co.uk/articles/beau-on-blackouts-botticelli-and-bohemian-rhapsody/ . December 11, 2023.
  14. Web site: The Double Negative » A Voice Heard by All: Dickie Beau, Lost in Trans . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501085629/http://www.thedoublenegative.co.uk/2013/11/a-voice-heard-by-all-dickie-beau-lost-in-trans/ . May 1, 2023 . The Double Negative.
  15. News: Cavendish . Dominic . 31 May 2023 . Re-Member Me: A Hamlet fantasia of infinite jest – and stirring sorrow . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231128232755/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/re-member-me-hampstead-theatre-review/ . November 28, 2023 . The Telegraph.
  16. Web site: Theatre and performance groups . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231128095526/https://www.britishcouncil.us/programmes/arts/market-breakers/past-programs/theatre-and-performance-programs . November 28, 2023 . British Council.
  17. Web site: Hawkins . Helwin . June 2023 . Re-Member Me, Hampstead Theatre review - wittily staged but poignant lip-syncing . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230930130636/https://theartsdesk.com/theatre/re-member-me-hampstead-theatre-review-wittily-staged-poignant-lip-syncing . September 30, 2023 . theartsdesk.com.
  18. Web site: 10 June 2023 . Re-Member Me, Hampstead Theatre review: Poignant performance piece about Hamlets past . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230606112813/https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/re-member-me-review . June 6, 2023 . TimeOut.
  19. Web site: Milazzo . Franco . Review: RE-MEMBER ME, Hampstead Theatre . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230925204347/https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Review-RE-MEMBER-ME-Hampstead-Theatre-20230601 . September 25, 2023 . broadway world.
  20. News: Halliburton . Rachel . Re-Member Me review — Dickie Beau's enthralling dissection of Hamlet . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230615021740/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/re-member-me-review-dickie-beaus-enthralling-dissection-of-hamlet-2k93725qs . June 15, 2023.
  21. Web site: Evans . Lloyd . 7 June 2023 . Hamlet fans will love this: Re-Member Me, at Hampstead Theatre, reviewed . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231201031528/https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/hamlet-fans-will-love-this-re-member-me-at-hampstead-theatre-reviewed/ . December 1, 2023 . The Spectator.
  22. Web site: Skethway . Nathan . October 24, 2019 . A Look at Hampstead Theatre's Botticelli in the Fire in London . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210801231328/https://www.playbill.com/article/a-look-at-hampstead-theatres-botticelli-in-the-fire-in-london . August 1, 2021 . Playbill.
  23. Web site: Hawking . Frey . Review: Botticelli in the Fire, Hampstead Theatre . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211202032715/https://exeuntmagazine.com/reviews/review-botticelli-fire-hampstead-theatre/ . December 2, 2021 . Expunged Magazine.
  24. Web site: Thompson . Jessie . 12 January 2021 . Am I really going to watch a panto in January? Oh yes I am . https://web.archive.org/web/20220512130312/https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/national-theatre-dick-whittington-livestream-b849555.html . May 12, 2022 . Evening Standard.
  25. News: Akbar . Arifa . 24 December 2020 . Dick Whittington review – smut, songs and a dose of optimism . The Guardian.
  26. News: Wiegand . Chris . 16 December 2020 . National Theatre dashes to save Christmas spirit with Dick Whittington film . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231209140233/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/dec/16/national-theatre-dashes-to-save-christmas-spirit-with-dick-whittington-film . December 9, 2023 . The Guardian.
  27. Web site: 7 November 2022 . ¡SHOWMANISM! At Bath Ustinov Studio . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240412144919/https://stagetalkmagazine.com/p/27317 . April 12, 2024 . Stage Talk Magazine.
  28. Web site: Cristi . A.A. . November 17, 2022 . Photos: First Look at Dickie Beau in ¡SHOWMANISM! At the Ustinov Studio in Bath . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221118221020/https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/Photos-First-Look-At-Dickie-Beau-In-SHOWMANISM-At-the-Ustinov-Studio-in-Bath-20221117 . November 18, 2022 . broadway world.
  29. Web site: Blease . Melissa . 28 November 2022 . Theatre Review: Showmanism . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231209222046/https://thebathmagazine.co.uk/theatre-review-showmanism/ . December 9, 2023 . The Bath Magazine.
  30. News: Jays . David . 24 November 2022 . ¡Showmanism! Review – astonishing lip-sync solo raises spirits . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240213202656/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/nov/24/showmanism-review-ustinov-studio-theatre-royal-bath-dickie-beau . February 13, 2024 . The Guardian.
  31. News: Allfree . Claire . 23 November 2022 . ¡Showmanism!: A strange, beautiful study of the agony and ecstasy of performance . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221124171557/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/showmanism-ustinov-studio-theatre-royal-bath-review-strange/ . November 24, 2022 . The Telegraph.
  32. Web site: Dickie Beau | Actor . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221210153927/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5004033/ . December 10, 2022 . IMDb.
  33. Web site: 17 October 2019 . Dickie Beau interview - Bohemian Rhapsody, queer histories and Botticelli . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20191020212850/https://www.qxmagazine.com/2019/10/dickie-beau-interview/ . October 20, 2019 . qx Magazine.
  34. Web site: Just Like a Woman: NYC Edition Programme . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220807185845/https://www.thisisliveart.co.uk/projects/just-like-a-woman-nyc-edition-programme/ . August 7, 2022.
  35. Web site: The Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award . https://web.archive.org/web/20141108094535/http://www.osbttrust.com/2014.html . 2014-11-08 .
  36. Web site: Bowie-Sell . Daisy . 26 February 2017 . Winners of the Offies announced . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231121234401/https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/offies-winners-announced-patrick-stewart_42967.html/ . November 21, 2023 . WhatsOnStage.
  37. Web site: Bank . Tim . Orange Tree Theatre wins four awards in Offies' Twitter ceremony . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231001200738/https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/orange-tree-theatre-carries-away-four-awards-in-offies-twitter-ceremony . October 1, 2023 . The Stage.
  38. Web site: Brown . Steve . 8 November 2019 . Actor Dickie Beau on sexuality, lipsyncing skills and starring in 'Bohemian Rhapsody' . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240412144031/https://www.attitude.co.uk/culture/film-tv/actor-dickie-beau-on-sexuality-lipsyncing-skills-and-starring-in-bohemian-rhapsody-300170/ . April 12, 2024 . attitude.