Month: December 1996

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, The Playhouse, 27 December 1996

We don’t often go to the theatre “at Twixtmas”, not least because you don’t get a lot of serious drama over that period. But in 1996 someone decided to transfer this superb Theatre Royal Bath production to London over the festive season.

I’m pretty sure it was on this occasion that Janie and I ran into Jacqui Somerville, who was in the audience but I think connected with someone or something to do with the production.

In my log, Janie and I declared this event to be an

…excellent production…

I do remember this production well and especially fondly. Anthony Page directed, Janet McTeer (who won multiple awards for this performance), Owen Teale and John Carlisle were in it. There is a Theatricalia entry for it.

Postscript

Jacqui Somerville was indeed there that evening – she reports and reminds me:

…a light blew that evening above the stage and Janet McTeer was a consummate professional. Giggled for ages then clicked back into character.

It was a superb production. I think I blagged the last seat in the house!

Nicholas de Jongh rated this production/London transfer very good and wrote highly of it:

de Jongh Doll's House Standardde Jongh Doll’s House Standard 25 Oct 1996, Fri Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Tom Lubbock in The Observer was also impressed, not least with Frank McGuinness’s version:

Tom Lubbock Doll's House ObserverTom Lubbock Doll’s House Observer 27 Oct 1996, Sun The Observer (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Finally an interesting piece from the Independent Tabloid on Anthony Page’s Production:

Independent on Doll's House & PageIndependent on Doll’s House & Page 30 Oct 1996, Wed The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

In short, this particular evening was a great way to round off the theatre-going year.

Seasonal Dos, Including A Low Key Z/Yen Dinner At Le Muscadet, 17 to 21 December 1996

Thumbnail borrowed from londontown.com. Probably Le Muscadet.

Tuesday 17 December – Viv’s Place

On the Tuesday, Janie and I went to Viv’s place in Golders Green for the evening. I think it was a sort-of seasonal party, mostly of the foodie variety.

Thursday 19 December – Z/Yen Christmas Bash At Le Muscadet

Thursday evening was the Z/Yen Christmas do – a relatively small scale affair that year, at Le Muscadet in Paddington Street, a restaurant now long gone. I recall Michael and I had used that place a few times for “corporate entertaining” in those early days of Z/Yen, so we thought it would be a sensible venue for our small but sweet team to gather.

I’m pretty sure that the group comprised Kevin & Kate Parker, Teresa Bestard Perello, Mike & Marianna Smith, Michael & Elisabeth, Me and Janie. Perhaps one or two other associates. 10 or 12 of us at the most.

It was a very good meal – it always was at le Muscadet. I recall one earlier occasion when Michael and I took some visiting Australian former colleagues/prospective clients there and they waxed lyrical about the place.

This will have been the first Z/Yen Christmas do held in London – the first two were held at The Paris House in Bedfordshire:

Z/Yen, The Very First Z/Yen Seasonal Song Lyric, 9 December & 16 December 1994

Not sure what, if anything, we did in terms of a seasonal song that 1996 Christmas – I cannot find anything in my dated files for it. It might have been one of Michael’s efforts, but I have a feeling we didn’t do one that year as we were simply a table in an open restaurant and didn’t have the guts to sing in that circumstance. I think we resolved to try and book a private area in future, when possible.

Saturday 21 December, Kim & Micky’s Place

An early in the season visit to Kim & Micky’s that year – I’m guessing they went away for Christmas itself. There will have been excellent food and wine. Probably quite a few people – perhaps even as many as the Z/Yen team do.

Swanwhite by August Strindberg, Gate Theatre, 20 December 1996

Janie and I rated this “very good” according to my log. We are both partial to a bit of Strindberg, even when he is in magical, fantastical mood.

In any case, The Gate had a great tradition back then of doing justice to Scandinavian theatre, not least Strindberg. This was not the first nor the last time I came out of The Gate thrilled by my little local’s handling of the mad master’s work.

Lynn Gardner in the Guardian liked the idea of the play and the setting, but was not so keen on the dramatic production:

Swanwhite Lyn GardnerSwanwhite Lyn Gardner 04 Dec 1996, Wed The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

We’ll just have to agree to differ, Lynn.

The Very End, Actor’s Workshop Medley, 18 December 1996

I suspect that this closing number medley arose from a specific request by Mike Ward at the Actor’s Workshop in Halifax, so it was probably used.

I’m not sure whether Janie and I went up to see the show that year – if we did my diary trawl, when it gets to 1996/1997, will find it and I’ll Ogblog about the visit.

THE VERY END
(A Medley to Many Tunes)

 

So Long, Farewell

So long, farewell, auf weidersein, goodbye,
We’re off, we’re done, we have to go, must fly;

Bye Bye Baby

Bye bye revels, revels goodbye,
Bye bye revels, don’t make me cry;

Farewell Jamaica

Sad to say, we’re on our way,
We won’t be back for many a day;
We’ve turned our backs, maybe we’ll send you a fax,
We’ve got to leave the Actor’s Workshop in Halifax;

We’ll Meet Again

We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when,
But I know we’ll meet again some New Year soon;
We’ve done revue, now we’re through, boo hoo hoo,
Now our show is done except for one more tune.

GOODBYE -EE

Goodbye-ee, goodbye-ee,
Wipe a tear, patron dear, from your eye-ee;
Though we sound like alley cats,
Our show stormed it in Halifax,
Goodbye-ee,
Don’t cry-ee,
Have a cup of tea and a minced pie-ee;
So long, chip chip,
Adios, pip, pip
Lets go, cheerio
Goodbye-eeeeeeeeeeeee (dragged off involuntarily)

Here is So Long, Farewell, with lyrics on screen:

Next up, Bye Bye Baby (Bay City Rollers version) with lyrics on screen:

Third up: Jamaica Farewell, Harry Belafonte. with lyrics on screen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70178t8EdIs

For We’ll Meet Again, click through here to my “Wheel Vera Lynn” lyric – there’s a good vid there.

As for Goodbye-ee, click here for lyrics and a good video Courtland and Jeffries singing the song – video only embedded below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVavtX80m3Q

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee, Aldwych Theatre, 14 December 1996

This was a wonderful production of “Virginia Woolf” which lives long in my and Janie’s memories.

Superb production

…was my comment in the log.

Here is the Theatricalia entry for this production.

Diana Rigg, David Suchet, Lloyd Owen and Clare Holman, with Howard Davies directing. Need I say more?

Paul Taylor in The Independent liked it:

Who's Afraid Taylor IndependentWho’s Afraid Taylor Independent 27 Sep 1996, Fri The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Michael Billington was full of it:

Who's Afraid Billington GuardianWho’s Afraid Billington Guardian 28 Sep 1996, Sat The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Michael Coveney in The Observer liked it too:

Who's Afraid Coveney ObserverWho’s Afraid Coveney Observer 29 Sep 1996, Sun The Observer (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

The following clip from The Evening Standard includes Nicholas de Jongh’s review and a review of reviews:

Who's Afraid StandardWho’s Afraid Standard 26 Sep 1996, Thu Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

The Journalists by Arnold Wesker, The Questors Theatre, 7 December 1996

My log for this one reads:

Programme (and hence all details) missing.

Production OK but cluttered – much like the play.

But all is not lost – it turns out that The Questors Theatre has one of the best theatrical archives of their own productions on the planet (who knew?), so everything you ever wanted to know about this production (or indeed any Questors production) and more besides, is preserved. Click here for The Journalists.

Just in case anything ever goes awry there, I have uploaded the scan of the programme to here.

I was reminded of this play and production many years later when Janie and I saw Ink at the Almeida.

Ink by James Graham, Almeida Theatre, 17 June 2017

Ink was not cluttered, although I did get spluttered…

…but that’s another story.

We no doubt took Pauline on to Noughts & Crosses, or possibly Lisa’s, or possibly Wine & Moussaka afterwards.

Pauline will have done the Questors tickets, which was very generous of her (she didn’t have to pay anything for two guest tickets), Janie will have done the interval drinks and I will have sported the dinner. Fair dinkum.