![]() I really love the show.”ĭuring the limbo period between Season 2 premiering in the U.K. “But it’s also lovely when you’re promoting something you’ve poured a lot of time and effort and love into like ‘Starstruck.’ I am proud of it. “At some point, you do get fucking sick of the sound of your own voice,” Matafeo admits. Suddenly, Matafeo’s years of self-promotion as a standup comic got a new purpose as she became the relatable face of the next evolution of romantic comedies. It’s no surprise that Matafeo - the show’s creator, star, and co-writer - subsequently earned a whole new level of attention than ever before (such as, for instance, a spot on Variety’s list of Best TV Performances). Matafeo’s vivacious performance as Jessie, a bright and wary woman who accidentally sleeps with a surprisingly lowkey movie star (played by Patel) before even more accidentally falling for him, felt like a breath of fresh air. The show’s first season debuted in 2021 to rapturous reviews that hailed it as one of the best romantic comedies in years, on television or otherwise. “I just thought she was really funny, and really charming.” “I was a fan of her standup, and had been to her shows a couple of times,” he says. “I loved films, and I loved drama, but I always sort of gravitated towards funnier roles,” Matafeo realizes now, because as a teen, “taking yourself seriously is fucking embarrassing.”Īfter moving to the U.K., she won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for her 2018 special “Horndog” (now available to stream on HBO Max) and converted new fans as a contestant on the beloved game show “Taskmaster.” Her “Starstruck” co-star Nikesh Patel, for one, knew of Matafeo well before auditioning for her show. Growing up in New Zealand, she obsessed over “Flight of the Conchords,” wore out Mitch Hedberg CDs, and pored over her library’s copy of Jerry Seinfeld’s “Seinlanguage.” She then wrote her own standup set for a local comedy festival and worked at an Auckland club for more chances to perform. Set to Gershwin’s effortlessly cool Concerto in F, with extracts from Chopin Starstruck is exactly the evening of entertainment you’ve been longing for.As she did on that stage, Matafeo’s spent most of her life finding comedy wherever she can. Gene Kelly’s pioneering choreography and much-loved style influenced a generation of directors and dance-makers in Hollywood, Broadway and beyond, and we honour his creative legacy with this playful new film. You’ll be transported into the world where jazz meets ballet, and the stars align.Ĭombining live performance capture with cinematic filming techniques and additional elements not seen in the stage production, Starstruck is directed for screen by Oscar Sansom ( Dive), in partnership with Forest of Black ( The Secret Theatre). In collaboration with Kelly’s widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, Scottish Ballet’s CEO/Artistic Director Christopher Hampson and designer Lez Brotherston ( The Snow Queen, The Secret Theatre) have lovingly revived the original ballet and added a delightful new twist. It has now been given a new set of wings for its UK stage debut and world premiere on screen. His jazzy, joyful Pas de Dieux was highly acclaimed at the time as ‘a breath of fresh air’ but has been rarely performed since. One of the first choreographers to bring the ‘American style’ to Europe, the legendary Gene Kelly was invited to create an original work for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1960. Inspired by Gene Kelly’s iconic work in Hollywood, Starstruck will be released as a feature-length film in partnership with Marquee TV. In this immersive, theatrical experience, audiences around the world can escape with us to the glamour and grace of Paris, 1960.
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