An Evening With Al Pacino

DVK, the global private equity and commodity trading company, founded by the financial alchemist Deepak Kuntawala, was delighted to be the title sponsor of the sell-out European premiere of An Evening with Pacino, which saw Hollywood screen legend Al Pacino in his acclaimed one-man show at the world famous London Palladium recently.

An Evening with Pacino explored the myriad highlights of one of the most celebrated careers in acting history, from his time off-Broadway in the 1960s right up to the present day, with the actor himself in intimate theatre surroundings.

The evening included an on-stage interview projected on a state-of-the-art large screen, bringing the action closer to the audience. The show also gave the public a rare chance to speak directly to Al Pacino in a Question & Answer session.

One of the very few actors to have won the ‘Triple Crown’ in acting (Oscar, Emmy and Tony Awards), winning his first Tony in 1969 for Does A Tiger Wear A Necktie, Al Pacino won worldwide acclaim for his role as Michael Corleone in The Godfather, which also gave him the first of his eight Academy Award nominations.

An enduring and highly regarded acting career has followed, with standout performances in Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Scarface, Sea of Love, Glengarry Glen Ross, Heat, Donnie Brasco, and Scent Of A Woman, for which he won the Best Actor Award at the 1992 Oscars.

Speaking about the show, Al Pacino said: ‘I love being on the stage, it’s a big passion of mine. It was a privilege to perform in London at the Palladium after so many years. I loved the live element of the event and being so close to my fans in the UK. The last time I was here was for the docu-drama Wilde Salome. It’s always great to be back’.

The actor has also directed and produced several films, including Looking For Richard and the soon-to-be released Wilde-Salome starring Jessica Chastain as Oscar Wilde’s Salome.

Al Pacino said of his project: ‘I saw the play [Salome] for the first time in London. It struck me immediately and affected me. When I asked who wrote it, I learned it was Oscar Wilde. I decided I wanted to do it straight away. I pursued the dream for years and did it on Broadway first’.

Ever the innovative entrepreneur, Deepak Kuntawala recently chartered new territory when he established the DVK Global Entertainment Investment Fund to nurture and finance interesting and unique global entertainment projects.

The fund will be governed by leading international law firm Mishcon De Reya and structured by the world’s largest professional services firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

The fund’s first heavyweight project is its title sponsorship of An Evening with Pacino, which brought the award-winning icon Al Pacino to the London stage.