NEW YORK (AP) – Kevin Spacey put his body through a lot playing Richard III for over 200 shows and across three continents.
Tumbling down a massive sand dune in Qatar didn’t help.
The House of Cards star found himself uncontrollably flipping over and over down a dune outside Doha during a fun day trip with the rest of the cast of the Shakespeare play.
“I had no idea I was going to go at that speed. It was literally like a barrel rolling down a hill. It was a very funny moment,” he said. “I’m still trying to get that sand out.”
Thankfully, someone got it all on tape: The Academy Award-winner’s silly plummet is one of the lighter moments in a new feature documentary that captures Spacey and his troupe of 20 British and American actors during their ten-month international tour from 2011 to 2012.
The film starts with rehearsals at The Old Vic in London and follows the company to nine of the 12 cities on the tour, including stops at the ancient Greek amphitheatre in Epidaurus, then on to Beijing, Istanbul, Sydney, Naples, San Francisco and winding up in New York City.
Director Jeremy Whelehan, who was an associate producer of Spacey’s film Beyond the Sea and an Old Vic assistant director, says the movie is as much for fans of the stage as it is for newcomers.
“We wanted the film to relate to people who have never been to the theatre and may roll their eyes at the thought of seeing a Shakespeare play,” he said.
Whelehan and his team captured the actors exploring their roles, joking and laughing backstage, missing home and being excited by the cities they visit. They are seen walking along the Great Wall of China and visiting Qatar and Turkey during the Arab Spring with a suddenly very relevant story about a power-mad dictator.
The project included The Winter’s Tale, The Cherry Orchard, The Tempest and As You Like It, all directed by Mendes. In its final act, Spacey played the humpbacked Richard III for Mendes and took the evil king on tour.