Cate Blanchett & STC Inspire Steven Soderbergh Film

Acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh (Sex, Lies And Videotape, Traffic) made a “secret film” that was seemingly inspired by the Sydney Theatre Company (STC) – including its high profile artistic directors Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton, while he was in Australia to direct one of the Company’s plays.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, while working with the STC on the production Tot Mom, Soderbergh shot an improvised film called The Last Time I Saw Michael Gregg with various cast members from the play.

Apparently, the film is a “laugh out loud” comedy about a theatre company staging the Chekhov play Three Sisters, told in reverse-chronological order from the triumphant opening night.

Rhys Muldoon – best known for his incredible work on Play School – plays the leading role: a theatre writer presumably inspired by Upton – but obvious only very loosely. Muldoon said: ”…my guy is pretty much sleeping with every woman he can get his hands on, which is very much not Andrew.”

Blanchett and Upton, who have seen a rough cut of the film, thought it was hilarious.

“How great that the actors got a taste of working on a film with one of the true masters,” Blanchett said. ”You can tell everyone had a good time with it and it was the perfect way to balance the intensity of working on the play.”

She’s fucking cool.

Rumour has it that Soderbergh is returning to STC to direct another play later in the year so watch this space.

Via SMH
Main Image by: Marty Melville via Getty

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