"...and the pair - who put the project on hold last year while Russell, 50, toured with reformed Pulp..."
That's a bit past-tense isn't it?
Russell's hoping to stage parts of his musical at Tramlines this Summer, and perhaps stage the whole thing in early 2013. That doesn't suggest a lot of time for Pulp involvement, I must say...
I dunno - Jarvis has got a lot more on his plate and still manages to tour. And he's just writing it isn't he - not acting, so he could probably still tour with rehearsals and that going on without him. Maybe it only had to be put on hold for the 2011 tour because he had a more active role (ie. actually writing the script)
Russell with a beard...when the hell did that happen? I can't believe even Twiggy doesn't know.
To be honest this is the type of thing I would have expected Russell to spend the past fifteen years doing. Venini and the one-off collab with The Long Blondes aside did his creative side grow a bit lazy? I know he has a family to feed and that he had been working on a novel in recent years but after seeing a (imo) kindred spirit of his, Luke Haines in action the other night, it makes me a bit sad that Russell's different slant on the creative arts was largely snuffed out, publicly at least, when he left Pulp. I suppose these things require money as well as effort and he did put a fair bit into Venini from what I remember reading.
It's knocked a few years - and a few pounds - off him. Maybe he found growing the beard an easier way of getting rid of the jowls than something more energetic...?
When putting on a new show, writers tend to be on hand during rehearsals in case it becomes apparent that a scene needs to be re written.
That could potentially be done by email but easier if physically there.