Brit TV legend cancels string of gigs saying he's ‘very busy and tired'
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
BRIT TV legend pulls plug on tour dates, admits he's 'very busy and tired' - leaving fans disappointed but understanding.
The 79-year-old has postponed his national tour just weeks before it was set to kick off.
Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter
Sign up
3
Brian Cox has postponed his solo tour, "It's All About Me"
Credit: Alamy
3
He is currently starring in Make it Happen as Adam Smith in Edinburgh
Credit: Alamy
The acclaimed actor, recently back in the spotlight thanks to his powerhouse role in the HBO TV drama Succession, revealed the tough decision to cancel his upcoming gigs.
Brian Cox, known for his commanding presence on both screen and stage, said the hectic schedule and exhaustion have forced him to take a step back - much to the disappointment of devoted fans.
The Succession star was ready to launch his 18-date one-man show — It's All About Me! — starting 1 October at Northampton's Royal & Derngate Theatre, but now fans will have to wait a little longer.
Brian told BBC Newscast: "I just thought I'll do it sometime, [October is] just too soon."
He also confirmed he's gearing up to take his directorial debut, Glenrothan, to the Toronto Film Festival next month - adding even more to his already packed diary.
He said: "It's been very busy and I just thought 'I can't be doing it.'"
The Royal & Derngate said its box office would be in touch with any ticket holders, and it was hopeful the show would be rescheduled in 2026.
The tour was set to roll into the Corn Exchange in Ipswich on October 3 and the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend-on-Sea on October 20.
On launching the tour, Cox said: 'I am looking forward to this tour as it marks something a little different for me - sharing the stage with myself.
"As the title indicates, the show will focus more than ever on my life and career. In the second half, the tables are turned and the audience will have the chance to put their questions to me. It should be a lot of fun.'
Cox has also been keeping busy treading the boards in Make It Happen in Edinburgh — a new musical delving into the Royal Bank of Scotland collapse and government bailout, with the star taking on the role of free market economics founder Adam Smith.
The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning star is also known for his role in the film Manhunter and his stage work with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).
The Scottish actor trained at Dundee Rep Theatre before moving on to perform with the Royal Lyceum Theatre, the Royal National Theatre and the RSC, where he gained acclaim for playing King Lear.
The news comes after Cox — who first wowed Edinburgh audiences with the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company back in 1965 — hit headlines for speaking out on the current state of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
At a UK Government gathering of cultural leaders at the newly revamped Filmhouse cinema, Cox used the launch of a fresh partnership between the Scotland Office and the Fringe Society to urge a shake-up of Edinburgh's world-famous festivals.
'I sort of find myself in a really weird position,' he told The Herald.
'Everybody's talking about art. I want to talk about practical matters — about how we coordinate everything.'
While admitting that a bit of 'chaos' has always been part of the Fringe and International Festival's charm, Cox warned that poor coordination between the two was starting to undermine their success.
'The problem about chaos is it's chaotic,' he quipped, blasting competing box offices and clashing schedules as major headaches for performers and audiences alike.
'There needs to be greater coordination, just practically, in order to make things function properly.'
Cox stressed that the real magic lies in the work itself — how it's seen and how people pay for it — not in the organisational mayhem.
'At the moment, half the charm of Edinburgh is its chaos, but that's only half the charm,' he said.
He urged organisers to 'think of a way of really coordinating events a bit more than we do, so we can practically deal with stuff that is a little impractical at the moment.
"It's just not good enough, quite frankly.
"Bugger the art — I'm really worried about bringing it all together properly, without chaos or chaoticness.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
New favourite for huge Harry Potter role named after major cast update
They are currently the frontrunner after being cast for the same part in another series A new favourite has emerged to be cast in a pivotal role for the forthcoming HBO Harry Potter series following a major cast update. The majority of the main stars have already been unveiled for the new adaptation, including the rising young actors who will portray the eponymous character and his best mates Hermione Grainger and Ron Weasley. They are already accompanied by renowned comic actors John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore and Nick Frost as Hagrid. The studio has also announced its decision to cast Paapa Essiedu as Professor Severus Snape. However, it remains unconfirmed who will play the series' antagonist, Lord Voldemort. A star from Marvel and Succession is now tipped to take on the part. This follows casting news for a new audiobook series. Audible have disclosed that all the books will receive Full-Cast Audio Editions, reports the Mirror. While previous Harry Potter novels were narrated by Stephen Fry, these new versions will feature a full roster of stars portraying each character. This includes Matthew Macfadyen as Lord Voldemort, leading to speculation that he is the new favourite to also play the role for HBO. Other cast members include Hugh Laurie as Albus Dumbledore, Riz Ahmed as Professor Snape, Michelle Gomez as Professor McGonagall and Cush Jumbo as the narrator. The speculation surrounding Macfadyen's potential casting in the television series, which could span a decade, comes as Arabella Stanton, the young actress set to play Hermione Granger in the HBO series, is also slated to voice the character in the first three instalments of the Audible audio series. According to OBLG, the actor who portrayed Tom Wambsgans in HBO's hit drama series Succession is now even odds to also take on the role on screen, making him the current outright favourite. However, he's not the only high-profile star in contention. Other Marvel stars, a former Doctor Who and an Oscar winner are also reportedly under consideration. The current odds are: Cillian Murphy is currently considered a long shot, following the Irish actor's recent Academy Award win for his performance in Oppenheimer. He recently received endorsement from Ralph Fiennes, who played the part in the films. Speaking on a US chat show, Fiennes said: "Cillian is a fantastic actor. That's a wonderful suggestion. I would be all in favour of Cillian." Interestingly, Fiennes only debuted as Voldemort from the fourth film when he is first seen in his true form, with Richard Bremmer portraying the character who must not be named when he is hiding on Professor Quirrel's head. Meanwhile, Murphy is also being tipped to be cast as the next James Bond villain.
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Dillian Whyte opens up on incredible journey from streets to heavyweight contender
As Dillian Whyte targets one last world title run, the 'Body Snatcher' opened up about his struggles as a young child to becoming a top heavyweight star Dillian Whyte has quite literally seen it all after revealing he was born in the middle of a hurricane. The 37-year-old is a huge underdog heading into his clash with Moses Itauma this weekend. Whyte is eyeing up one last world title run as he enters the twilight stages of his glittering career. Whilst the thought of retirement is a daunting experience, the 'Body Snatcher' remains unfazed as he looks back at his early days as a youngster. The Jamaican-British fighter recalls eating out of rubbish bins and selling Fanta bottles on the street as a young boy in Jamaica. Having been a fighter since the day he was born, Whyte told reporters in a media roundtable last month: "I've always been a fighter. I was born in the middle of a hurricane in 1988, a hurricane blew the roof of my mum's house while she was giving birth to me. "I just know to persist. I'm extremely stubborn. All I've done in my life is fight and struggle, fight and struggle, fight and struggle, fight and struggle, fight and struggle. So it's what I know what to do. Everything else I've had to learn. I've had to learn to be a better human being. I've had to learn to be a person of faith, I've had to learn to be more loving, more caring. I've had to learn to do other things but fighting and being amongst animals is the two things that I know to do best." Born in Port Antonio, Whyte admitted he struggled growing up and was briefly separated from his mother before he was a teenager. In a desperate attempt to get by, the 37-year-old revealed exactly what he went through growing up.'Sometimes I had no guardians or no one to take care of me," he said. "So I was out in the street surviving, stealing and robbing food and stuff to get by, eating from trash cans, doing stuff like that. You know, working as a kid, I remember selling Fanta bottles, the glass bottles to make money, selling fruits, farming, doing stuff. So, I've been suffering. 'All I've done in my life is fight and struggle, fight and struggle, fight and struggle, fight and struggle, fight and struggle. So it's what I know how to do. I've had to learn to be a better human being.' He added: 'But fighting … and being amongst animals, are the two things that I know to do best.' After revealing he thought he would never be a boxer, Whyte told reporters how he started training just to get out of trouble. Since turning professional in 2011, the Brit has faced several iconic names in the sport of boxing, including Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, David Allen, Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker. Now, he faces one of the toughest tests of his career - but he is fully relishing the underdog role on fight night. Itauma has been backed by several boxing legends to achieve great things in the sport. Whyte is fully believing in himself ahead of fight night as he looks to score a monumental upset. 'Today Moses is the next Mike Tyson," he said of Itauma. "He is great, amazing and they talk about him fighting (Oleksandr) Usyk. I go in there, he does his thing, I catch him and blow him up. Then what? People say he's not good any more? 'My mindset is no-one wants to fight Moses, he is a great fighter, young, sharp and full of beans. You have to believe in yourself and take risks. That is what my life is all about. Showing people, my family and my kids, and people in general, you have to take risks to get to places. I ain't got nothing to lose. What have I got to lose? I'm a nobody. I'm being compared to a journeyman in the 90s and 80s, he is being compared to Mike Tyson.' When is Dillian Whyte vs Moses Itauma? The 'Esports World Cup Fight Week: Moses Itauma vs Dillian Whyte ' will take place on Saturday, August 16. The main undercard is due to get underway at around 5:45 pm UK time (12:45 pm ET / 9:45 am PT). The main event ringwalks will likely take place at around 10:20pm UK time (5:20 pm ET / 2:20 pm PT). All of the action will be streamed live on DAZN Pay Per-View. The event is priced at £19.99 in the United Kingdom, $49.99 in the United States, €19.99 in Europe and $49.95 in Australia.
North Wales Chronicle
3 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Spirit willing ally for Cox in search of Stonehenge prize
Clive Cox's talented youngster impressed at the Wiltshire track when defying a penalty there on his second start, and after being narrowly denied when upped in class for Ascot's Pat Eddery Stakes he now tries his hand once again at Listed level, against just two rivals. Although low in numbers, however, the race is not devoid of quality and Cox has the utmost respect for John and Thady Gosden's Vintage Stakes runner-up Morris Dancer, who looks set to present a stern challenge in a race the Lambourn handler won with Cobh in 2020. 'Obviously there's only three runners, but there is healthy competition and Morris Dancer was a very respectful second in the Group Two at Goodwood,' said Cox. 'I'm very happy though that my fellow is in good form and he ran a blinder at Ascot. He's a course winner at Salisbury as well so I'm relishing the opportunity to run him and fingers crossed he can run well. 'We always thought he could take the step up to a mile and this seems like a sensible opportunity on a course he has won at. He's hit the line really well each time he has run, so I see no reason not to go to a mile and I really hope it is in his compass.' The Stonehenge Stakes is one of two Listed events on the Salisbury card, with a field of nine assembled for the British Stallion Studs EBF Upavon Fillies' Stakes. Ralph Beckett's Revoir was not disgraced in the Oaks on her penultimate start and is fancied to be one of the leading players, with Owen Burrows' Azaniya going in search of a hat-trick after wins in a Newmarket novice event then a Windsor handicap.
