I went to see this production of The Common Pursuit with Bobbie.
It had received a lot of publicity at that time, due to its stellar cast of comedy folk: Rik Mayall, Stephen Fry, Sarah Berger, John Sessions, John Gordon Sinclair and Paul Mooney.
We didn’t realise at the time that the piece was a rewrite/revival of a play produced at the Lyric a few years earlier. The Wikipedia entry for The Common Pursuit explains.
I remember thinking it was actually a very good play. I had already formed a liking for Simon Gray plays by reading many of them in the mid 1980s. This might have been the first one I saw on the stage.
I also recall not liking the sycophantic audience who seemed to think it was hilarious if Rik Mayall or Stephen Fry merely walked onto the stage. But that was the audiences problem, not the play’s. Nor the production’s, really.
I think the play has been somewhat under-rated in the Simon Gray canon as it has not often been revived in the 30 years since.
My log registered “very good” for this one.
The next time Simon Gray was partnered with Rik Mayall and Stephen Fry in the West End was Cell Mates in 1995, which did not end up so well; especially for Stephen Fry. Janie and I missed that one as I guessed that “sycophantic audience syndrome” would displease Janie even more than it had displeased me and Bobbie in 1988. But Janie and I did go to the revival of Cell Mates at the Hampstead in 2017:
But back to The Common Pursuit. Bobbie’s memory of it has yet to be tested. I’ll get back to this piece in the unlikely event that something specific about this piece or this evening emerges.
Below is Michael Ratcliffe’s Observer review:
Ratcliffe On Common Pursuit & Faust Part One Sun, Apr 10, 1988 – 37 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com
Below is Michael Billington’s review:
Michael Billington On Common Pursuit Sat, Apr 9, 1988 – 17 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com
I vaguely remember taking after theatre supper with Bobbie at one of those West End restaurants after this one but cannot recall which particular restaurant it was.
I have just discovered your blog, having seen this production. My main recollection is the feeling of a growing attachment to the characters, of wanting to meet the outside of the play, that became that real, that well drawn, to me. A play has to end, but I wanted to carry on watching their lives.
Remeber going to this play with my then girlfriend, enjoyed it so much I still have the brochure intact and one that I cut and scanned so if you would like the PDF of it let me know
Many thanks for your comment, Hugh. I have the programme, but if you mean something else by “brochure”, then by all means send me the pdf and I would happily display it along with this article, naturally crediting you for it.
Thank you. Wouldn’t swear to it, as it’ll be buried under several years of detritus, but I believe I still have my programme!