Why did Planer stop reading Discworld novels?

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sarap

New Member
Mar 18, 2013
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#1
I know it's been ages, but I still can't understand why Nigel Planer stopped reading Discworld books!

Anyone could tell him to pleeeaaassseeee come back? Stephen Briggs is a good man, I'm sure. But Nigel Planer IS Discworld :(
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
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Jul 25, 2008
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#2
Hi there sarap and welcome to the site. :)

I think Stephen Briggs is is Discworld personified! :laugh:

He created the Discworld maps, the Discworld Companion, he has adapted the books as plays and played in those plays. Not to mention that he looks like Lord Vetinari!

Take a look at this Wiki on him.

I've listened to audiobooks by Nigel Planer and Stephen Briggs and, while I think Nigel is very good, Stephen has the edge for me. His characterization is, generally, excellent. Nobody (with the exception of Terry) knows his way around Discworld better.
 

Penfold

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Dec 29, 2009
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#3
Tonyblack said:
Hi there sarap and welcome to the site. :)

I think Stephen Briggs is is Discworld personified! :laugh:

He created the Discworld maps, the Discworld Companion, he has adapted the books as plays and played in those plays. Not to mention that he looks like Lord Vetinari!.........
Hellooo and welcome Sarap. I'm afraid I know nothing about the audiobooks but, to my mind's eye, he does look like how I envisage Vetinari. Here's a picture of him from last year's convention. :laugh:

 

raisindot

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Oct 1, 2009
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#4
Tonyblack said:
Hi there sarap and welcome to the site. :)

I think Stephen Briggs is is Discworld personified! :laugh:

He created the Discworld maps, the Discworld Companion, he has adapted the books as plays and played in those plays.

I've listened to audiobooks by Nigel Planer and Stephen Briggs and, while I think Nigel is very good, Stephen has the edge for me. His characterization is, generally, excellent. Nobody (with the exception of Terry) knows his way around Discworld better.

Totally agree with you. Maybe Pterry initially directed Briggs replace Planer for purely nepotism purposes, but for me Briggs is absolutely the best reader.


Tonyblack said:
Not to mention that he looks like Lord Vetinari!
No one really knows what Lord Vetinari looks like...just like no one really knows what Jesus looks like, in spite of all the frescoes showing him as a tall, long-haired Aryan hippie. What Briggs does look like is Paul Kidby's 'definitive' illustration of Vetinari, which is, well, based on Briggs' own appearance.
 

=Tamar

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May 20, 2012
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#5
raisindot said:
Tonyblack said:
Not to mention that he looks like Lord Vetinari!
No one really knows what Lord Vetinari looks like...just like no one really knows what Jesus looks like, in spite of all the frescoes showing him as a tall, long-haired Aryan hippie. What Briggs does look like is Paul Kidby's 'definitive' illustration of Vetinari, which is, well, based on Briggs' own appearance.
If I recall correctly, Sir Terry said once that he hadn't realized that Vetinari had a beard until he saw Briggs play Vetinari in the first play adaptation (Guards! Guards!, I believe).
 

raisindot

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#6
=Tamar said:
If I recall correctly, Sir Terry said once that he hadn't realized that Vetinari had a beard until he saw Briggs play Vetinari in the first play adaptation (Guards! Guards!, I believe).
Really? Very interesting. I wonder when Briggs and Pterry began working together (or at least when Pterry say Briggs first play Vetinari). It would be interesting to compare this event to the way Vetinari is portrayed in books before and after to see if Briggs himself might have influenced the way Pterry developed Vetinari from that point foward.
 

Tonyblack

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#7
I could be wrong about this, but I seem to remember Terry saying that Stephen originally approached him about creating a map. Terry didn't think it was possible as he'd not worked from a map himself, but gave the go ahead. He was very surprised to find that it worked.

Terry has said in the past that the fans know more about the Discworld than he does. :laugh:
 

=Tamar

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May 20, 2012
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#8
Re: Briggs and Sir Terry

raisindot said:
I wonder when Briggs and Pterry began working together (or at least when Pterry saw Briggs first play Vetinari). It would be interesting to compare this event to the way Vetinari is portrayed in books before and after to see if Briggs himself might have influenced the way Pterry developed Vetinari from that point foward.
Wikipedia says Briggs' first adaptation was Wyrd Sisters in 1991. He adapted Guards! Guards! for the stage in 1993 and that was when Briggs first played Vetinari.

=Tamar
 

raisindot

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Oct 1, 2009
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#9
Re: Briggs and Sir Terry

=Tamar said:
raisindot said:
I wonder when Briggs and Pterry began working together (or at least when Pterry saw Briggs first play Vetinari). It would be interesting to compare this event to the way Vetinari is portrayed in books before and after to see if Briggs himself might have influenced the way Pterry developed Vetinari from that point foward.
Wikipedia says Briggs' first adaptation was Wyrd Sisters in 1991. He adapted Guards! Guards! for the stage in 1993 and that was when Briggs first played Vetinari.

=Tamar
That's really interesting. Men at Arms was published in 1993, but the Vetinari of that book was still closer to the largely undeveloped Vetinari of Guards! Guards! For me, the 'mature' Vetinari doesn't begin to show himself until Feet of Clay (1996). I wouldn't be surprised if Pterry's collaboration and friendship with Briggs during this period somehow influenced the evolution of Vetinari. I'd love to ask either man that question.
 

Jason

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Jul 10, 2008
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#10
From what I understand. Nigel stopped doing reading the audiobooks because he wanted to work on other projects and was finding it hard to allocate the time required to do the recordings. ISIS asked Terry if he had any preferences and he suggested that Stephen should give it a try. Stephen's recordings have been very well received and Stephen has won at least one Industry award for his work and possibly others.
 

rokoroo

New Member
Apr 8, 2013
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#12
While I do love Briggs' reading, I much prefer Planer's reading. I don't care at all what either of them looks like, I can't see them when I'm listening :) Planer has more variation to his reading. Not slamming Briggs here, he way outclasses other narrators.
 

sarap

New Member
Mar 18, 2013
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#14
Thanks Rokoroo,
I agree with you. Planer can do Captain (Sir) Vime like no other, and Nanny Ogg! Perfect! Corporal Detritus also. I don't know. I guess it is just a matter of getting used to Briggs.
 
Jan 13, 2012
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#15
I liked both their vetinaries and both their vimes. Planer does the witches best and the best DEATH. and i'll agree with Detritus. Briggs does a perfect Igor and the best Feegles. his angua is better also. and his vampires. though, it would help if he didn't give all his vampires the same voice.

tony robinson did the best Dr Bustle (sp?) psycho rant though. :laugh: they also put alot more production in his version of a hat full of sky also. in that, there actually was some. like when the two Mrs Levels are talking back and forth, or when Tiffany is talking behind the Hiver. it was done much better in the abridged for some reason. (not to say tony was better, but his version, for some part were.) and I noticed that with the early books was well. like how they used to add a vocal effects for footnotes, or when death was speaking.
 

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