I thought this play/production was very good. I think Bobbie did too.
At the time, this medieval period was not one of my favourites, whereas now, writing in March 2020 nearly 30 years later, I have been doing a bit of my own writing (albeit fun stuff) on the topic…
…so would now be better equipped with the historical backdrop.
But I digress.
I was, at that time, especially partial to a bit of Jean Anouilh, which was quite popular at that time, soon after his death.
Derek Jacobi as Becket, Robert Lindsay as Henry II. That’s a pretty decent line up and the supporting cast was pretty good too. Elijah Moshinsky (better known for opera) directed it.
Michael Billington in the Guardian admired the production for its acting and directing more than he liked the play:
Billington on Becket Wed, Oct 9, 1991 – 38 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com
Michael Coveney in the Observer didn’t like the piece much:
Michael Coveney on Becket Sun, Oct 13, 1991 – 56 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com
But it isn’t about those guys, it is about what we thought…and we thought it very good. I suspect I would now agree with Billington that the thrill of this production was the acting. I wonder if I have a copy of the play somewhere so I can quickly read it again after all this time?
