Category: Theatre

Cymbeline by William Shakespeare, Olivier Theatre, With Bobbie, 15 November 1988

This production started its life at the Cottesloe, then went on tour and then returned to the National at the Olivier. Bobbie and I caught it on its return.

Theatricalia lists the production here.

I recall not much liking this play. We had seen a cast comprising mostly this ensemble perform The Tempest some months earlier, which I had loved. I think it was that experience that drew us to Cymbeline.

I also realised by then that I prefer smaller spaces than the Olivier – there was a comparatively impersonal feel to the Cymbeline and I remember wondering whether I would have liked it more in the Cottesloe.

Still, it was a fine production with an excellent cast. I wonder what Bobbie thought of it and/or recalls about it?

Below is Michael Billington’s Guardian review of Cymbeline:

Billington on CymbelineBillington on Cymbeline Mon, May 23, 1988 – 21 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Below is Michael Ratcliffe’s Observer review, which also covers The Tempest:

Ratcliffe on Tempest & CybelineRatcliffe on Tempest & Cybeline Sun, May 22, 1988 – 39 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

This was my last week working for Newman Harris, I was doing exam marking for Financial Training college to make a few extra bucks and on the preceding Monday my parents went on holiday. How do I remember all that?:

Went To See An Enemy Of The People by Henrik Ibsen (Arthur Miller Adaptation), With Bobbie & Ashley, Young Vic, 9 November 1988

What a super production this was. I remember being much taken with it, although, strangely, while I clearly recall seeing this with Bobbie, I did not recall Ashley joining us for this one. But the diary is clear:

What a cast and crew too. Here is the Theatricalia page for it. A young Tom Wilkinson and Connie Booth playing the big leads, with lots of good folk in support. David Thacker directed.

This was the Arthur Miller adaptation of the Ibsen play. WhatsOnStage.com listed this production as one of the six best Miller productions – with a tribute from Jeremy Herrin. So there.

I’m pretty sure this production was in the round and I remember feeling a sense of claustrophobia being so close to the action and the intense dilemmas and pain of the central characters.

This play, its morality and injustices came to my mind so many years later, in the late teenies, when the British gutter press started to brand anti-Brexit folk as “Enemies of the People”. Although I had seen a good production of the play subsequent to this 1988 production, it is Tom Wilkinson’s agonies, witnessed at close quarters so long ago, that sprang into my mind.

I’m struggling to remember the rest of the evening, but perhaps Bobbie and/or Ashley will recall it. I’m guessing that Ashley stayed with Bobbie on that occasion, as she was, by then, ensconced in her natty new pad in DuCane Court, whereas I was still plotting my imminent escape from my parents’ house – which I pulled off just a few week’s later.

Left My Job At Newman Harris, Moved To Clanricarde Gardens And Started Work For Binder Hamlyn Management Consultants, 18 November to 1 December 1988

We three won’t simply have parted company at the doors of the Young Vic, that’s for sure. I’m guessing we might have taken a late meal at the Archduke or perhaps RSJs at that time. Anyone remember?

Postscript: Ashley Fletcher has chimed in to deny all involvement in this particular evening. The Ashley mention must have been Ashley Michaels, my (by then former) colleague from Newman Harris. I’ll pick Bobbie’s brain if/when I get the chance, but I suspect she’ll do that, “I can’t even remember what I did last week” routine.

Fortunately my subscription to the clippings service yields some retained memory – here is Michael ratcliffe’s Observer review:

Ratcliffe on EnemyRatcliffe on Enemy Sun, Oct 16, 1988 – 40 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Michael Billington’s Guardian review is shown below:

Billington on EnemyBillington on Enemy Sat, Oct 15, 1988 – 36 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Mountain Language by Harold Pinter, Lyttelton Theatre, 25 October 1988

Wow – this was a real experience in the theatre. Only a short piece – not even half an hour long – Bobbie and I will have both traipsed to the National after work, spending far more time traipsing than watching. But the memory of this piece lingers long in the memory.

Here is the Wikipedia entry about the play.

What a cast – see this Theatricalia entry for details. Michael Gambon, Miranda Richardson, Tony Haygarth, Eileen Atkins…

…Pinter himself directing…

…Julian Wadham was also in it – I seem to recall that Bobbie was working with his sister at that time.

I rated it very good indeed in my log and I remember talking and thinking about the piece long after the curtain call.

Below is Michael Billington’s Guardian review:

Billington on Mountain LanguageBillington on Mountain Language Sat, Oct 22, 1988 – 17 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Below is Michael Ratcliffe’s Observer review:

Ratcliffe on Mountain LanguageRatcliffe on Mountain Language Sun, Oct 23, 1988 – 40 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

I subsequently saw the piece again, in a double bill with Ashes To Ashes at the Royal Court, with Janie second time around. It is a very strong piece and no doubt can still shock and make the audience realise how bad regimes exert their power in part through the suppression and abuse of language.

What an honour to have seen the first production of this important, though short, piece of drama.

Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen, Hampstead Theatre, 18 October 1988

Everyone remembers their first time and I was lucky enough to have my first experience with the wonderful actress, Lindsay Duncan.

Seeing Hedda Gabler, I’m talking about – what did you think I meant?

This was another midweek theatre visit with Bobbie, during that brief period of a few months when I was between qualifying and moving on to my next, fully-fledged career.

I rated this experience as “very good” in my log and why not? Lindsay Duncan as Hedda, Jonathan Coy as Tesman, Dermot Crowley as Lovborg…

…here is a link to the Theatricalia entry for this production.

Most unusually, I have been to see this play with Janie on (at the time of writing) three further occasions. I guess that Lindsay Duncan as Hedda is a bit like a highly addictive drug – you keep chasing that first high, hoping to experience it again. In truth, it did take us a while to land a really good production; the one at the Almeida in 2005 – all to be written up in future Ogblogs.

But back in October 1988, I was already a bit of an Ibsen fan and for sure was really taken with this production. Trevor Nunn had a hand in it, apparently…

..who’d have thought, back then in 1988, that I’d end up meeting Trevor Nunn socially a few years later? Another matter for another Ogblog piece.

Below is Nicholas de Jongh’s Guardian review:

de Jongh on Heddade Jongh on Hedda Mon, Oct 17, 1988 – 21 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Below is Michael Ratcliffe’s short review in the Observer:

Ratcliffe on HeddaRatcliffe on Hedda Sun, Oct 23, 1988 – 40 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

The Father by August Strindberg, Cottesloe Theatre, 15 October 1988

Oh I do love a bit of Strindberg and this was an especially memorable production of one of Strindberg’s best plays. Not familiar with the play? – Wikipedia can help – click here.

A Saturday evening with Bobbie at the National.

I rated this one “very good indeed” in my log.

We saw a preview of this one. The press night is listed some 10 days after our preview, so we must have seen one of the first previews.

A fine cast – set out in Theatricalia.com if you click here. Alun Armstrong as The Captain. The late lamented Susan Fleetwood as Laura.

At the time of writing, strangely, I have recently seen Alun Armstrong again, I think for the first time in those 30 years, in The Cane at the Royal Court:

The Cane by Mark Ravenhill, Royal Court Theatre, 8 December 2018

But returning to the Father I remember the production and Armstrong’s performance clearly – both really were memorably good.

Below is Michael Billington’s Guardian review:

Billington on The FatherBillington on The Father Fri, Oct 28, 1988 – 35 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Below is Michael Ratcliffe’s Observer review:

Michael ratcliffe on The FatherMichael ratcliffe on The Father Sun, Nov 6, 1988 – 43 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Hello And Goodbye by Athol Fugard, Almeida Theatre, 6 September 1988

My log says that this play/production was superb and I certainly remember it as so.

The play is one of Fugard’s earliest – a two-hander about a brother and sister in the Eastern Cape; somewhat down-at-heel Afrikaners. Here is a link to a Jhu article about this lesser-known Fugard play.

This might have been my first sight of Tony Sher performing live and it was, I think, my first ever visit to the Almeida Theatre. Those things were oft-repeated after this night.

I don’t think I have ever seen Estelle Kohler perform since, but I recall thinking that her performance, as well as Tony Sher’s, was acting from the very top drawer.

But then what did I know? Or indeed what do I know? Except that, on Googling this production, it seems that both performers picked up Olivier Award nominations for their performances in this one that year – click here.

I saw this production with Bobbie midweek – on a Tuesday – whatever next?

I wonder whether Ivan Shakespeare sold us the programme or ushered us to our seats – I didn’t know him back then, but I believe he was volunteering at the Almeida for many years before I met him through NewsRevue.

The production was actually an RSC thing – a brief exile from the Barbican at the Almeida.

Here is a link to the Theatricalia entry on this production.

Below is Nicholas de Jongh’s Guardian review:

Nicholas de Jongh on Hello & GoodbyeNicholas de Jongh on Hello & Goodbye Tue, Aug 9, 1988 – 17 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Below in Michael Ratcliffe’s Observer review:

Ratclliffe on Hello & GoodbyeRatclliffe on Hello & Goodbye Sun, Aug 7, 1988 – 39 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

This was a really memorable night at the theatre – more than 30 years later, I can still visualise the Johnny and Hester characters hollering at each other – I can still almost feel their pain.

The Fancy Man by Mike Stott, Hampstead Theatre, 17 August 1988

Hmm – I really don’t remember this one. A midweek visit to the Hampstead Theatre with Bobbie. Nothing in the log other than a record of the fact that we went.

And the programme.

Most Mike Stott plays have more “on the record”/on-line than this one. I’m going to guess it didn’t do so well.

A grim -sounding Pennines story about a young man who strangles his wife a year or so after they married. He was more a comedy man, was Mike Stott, but perhaps this grim story turns to comedy.

Ian Mercer and Julia Lane playing the leads.

No reviews to be found, just listings and this type of clipping:

Fancy Man Fringe clipFancy Man Fringe clip Mon, Aug 15, 1988 – 31 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

I couldn’t even find out that much about Mike Stott, apart from the fact that he was the author of Funny Peculiar – but I did find this obituary for him – click here.

I’m going to guess that we didn’t get a great deal out of this one. perhaps the diary will reveal more – e.g. why we went/whether or not we went with some other people that evening.

The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Cottesloe Theatre, 23 July 1988

This was a very good production of The Tempest at the National Theatre. Peter Hall directed it. Superb cast.

Here is the Theatricalia entry for this production.

Below is Michael Billington’s Guardian review of the Tempest

Billington On The TempestBillington On The Tempest Sat, May 21, 1988 – 17 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Below is Michael Ratcliffe’s Observer review of the Tempest and Cybeline:

Ratcliffe on Tempest & CybelineRatcliffe on Tempest & Cybeline Sun, May 22, 1988 – 39 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

It was part of repertory trio of productions of late Shakespeare plays, of which we also saw Cybeline a few months later:

Cymbeline by William Shakespeare, Olivier Theatre, With Bobbie, 15 November 1988

I rated this production very good. I think we benefited from seeing The Tempest in the intimate environment of the Cottesloe – certainly when compared with Cybeline at the Olivier.

Not sure what we did afterwards – the diary might have some info on that, which I shall add in the fullness of time if it does.

The Changeling by Thomas Middleton, William Rowley, Lyttelton Theatre, 25 June 1988

Hot on the heels of seeing an excellent Uncle Vanya…

Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov, Vaudeville Theatre, 11 June 1988

…Bobbie and I saw a very good production of The Changeling at The National.

Miranda Richardson played Beatrice-Joanna, Rebecca Pidgeon played Isabella, George Harris as De Flores, Richard Eyre directing…

…here is a link to the Theatricalia entry.

It isn’t a jolly play and I did see it again only a few years later at Stratford, with Janie:

The Changeling by Thomas Middleton & William Rowley, RSC Swan Theatre, 29 October 1992

I think this National production was the better of the two.

Below is Michael Billington’s Guardian review, plus an interview with Miranda Richardson

Billington on ChangelingBillington on Changeling Sat, Jun 25, 1988 – 18 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Kate Kellaway’s Observer review is below:

Kate Kellaway on ChangelingKate Kellaway on Changeling Sun, Jun 26, 1988 – 40 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

The diary is silent on what we did afterwards. For some reason, is think that we ate at the National that evening. It is quite a long play and I think the restaurant there was doing arrangements to eat part of your meal during and part after show at that time. But I could be mistaken.

Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov, Vaudeville Theatre, 11 June 1988

I rated this production very good indeed at the time and I can understand why. Superb cast, with Michael Gambon as Vanya, Imelda Staunton as Sonia, Greta Scatcchi as Yelena, Jonathan Pryce as Astrov, Michael Blakemore directing…

…here is a link to the Theatricalia entry for this production.

Bobbie and I went to this one. I recall sitting very near the front although probably not the very front row.

In 1988 I hadn’t yet formed an aversion to those old-fashioned theatre-land theatres, although we didn’t go to those places all that frequently.

I suspect that we had a late evening Chinese meal in Soho after the show – perhaps Poons, perhaps Mayflower, perhaps Joy King Lau…

A pretty darned good evening as I recall it.

Below is Michael Billington’s Guardian review of the production:

Billington on VanyaBillington on Vanya Thu, May 26, 1988 – 19 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Michael Ratcliffe’s Observer review is below:

Ratcliffe on VanyaRatcliffe on Vanya Sun, May 29, 1988 – 38 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com