Keira Knightley 'has all the charisma of a goldfish'

By Helen Lamont on Friday 18 December 2009

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Keira Knightley

She said she feared she would be ‘burned alive' by theatre critics - and now that the reviews of Keira Knightley's West End debut are in, we're thinking: did someone mistake this for panto, with Keira as Cinders?

After all the excitement of Opening Night, she and her The Misanthrope co-star Damian Lewis are waking up to reviews which are, at best, mixed, and at worst, a metaphoric shot to the head.

The Daily Mail's Quentin Letts led the barrage with the quip, ‘She has all the charisma of a serviceable goldfish,' and mused, 'Keira Knightley may be one of 21st century cinema's revered objects, but on stage she proves little better than adequate'.

'Miss Knightley has a flawless face but it does not move about much,' he continued.

'In a film actress this is often an advantage but on stage it is a snag. It's like giving a carpenter a blunt chisel.'

At The Express, Paul Callan was equally unconvinced.

'Her lack of stage experience is sometimes painfully evident,' he wrote, adding her acting was all on 'one note'.

He concluded, 'It is rather sad that the heart-wrenchingly beautiful Miss Knightley does not come up to scratch'.

The 24 year-old already feared the critical reception her performance might be less than stellar.

Speaking in a recent BBC interview, she told of her nerves ahead of the opening of the play's three-month run at The Comedy Theatre.

After prophesying she would be 'burnt alive' by critics, she shrugged, ‘I'm not coming into it with any great expectations of coming away with great reviews'.

But with gritty determination she explained her motivation, 'I thought if I don't do theatre right now, I think I'm going to start being too terrified to do it,' she said. 'So I just thought, okay, dive in and give it a go.'

Keira can take comfort in the fact she did manage to charm some of her audience.

Michael Billington, writing in The Guardian, said she displayed ‘and a nice mix of faux-innocence and flirtiness' on stage, and ‘Even if she doesn't always know what to do with her hands, she gives a perfectly creditable performance'.

Meanwhile, Paul Taylor at The Independent gave her the warmest reception, writing that her performance was 'not only strikingly convincing but, at times, rather thrilling in its satiric aplomb'.

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Friday 18 December 2009

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She was always going to get some bad reviews... I'm sure the critics were really out to get her last night. But well done Keira for hanging in there, I'm sure the play is fab!
Comment by Kerry on December 18 11:47

She shouldn't let it bother her - critics are notoriously wrong - and often prejudiced against film actors.
I am going to see the show and make my own mind up!
Comment by angiej on December 18 13:26

Have always thought her performances were wooden and pouty and this performance is no different. She really can't act to save her life.
Comment by Bloomsbury on December 18 13:33

Keira sweetie your real critics are the people who will go see your play,& pay for their seat! I of which will be one next week...

You are a superb actress for someone of such a very young age. Well done for doing theatre, it takes a lot of guts.
"Break a leg" when I see your performance hun x
Comment by Sandra frm London on December 18 13:38

On screen Keira Knightly commands big bucks for vacant stares and pouting. We know she can't act so why bother waste time convincing us otherwise. Cheryl Cole can't sing well but sits in judgement. Life does often not make sense.
Comment by Lia on December 18 15:02