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Charlie Chaplin created The Tramp, one of the most famous cinema images of all time. And in doing so Chaplin trapped himself inside an image he never truly managed to succeed without. Chaplin was the outstanding genius of the silent movie era, the most famous man of his age. His genius raised early slapstick to a level of comedy setting the bench mark for future movie makers. But he never maintained that brilliance in the world of 'talkies'. He had plenty he wanted to say, but never quite worked out how to say it. The Tramp opened the doors of society and celebrity to Chaplin and gave him a life style of endless young women and undreamt-of riches, propelled him into the worlds of intellectuals and royalty. Not bad for a street urchin brought up in the Dickensian slums and workhouses of late 19th century London! But he was also vilified for 'sexual perversion' and for the way he treated his ex-wives, accused of being communist and investigated by the notorious Senator McCarthy. In his new play Pip Utton steps in and out of the screen and becomes Charlie Chaplin, stripping away the myths and the moustache and revealing the man beneath.| 14 Feb 08 | Strode Theatre Street, Somerset Performance Details => Venue archive |
