Tag: Anna Friel

Lulu by Frank Wedekind, Almeida Theatre At Kings Cross, 24 March 2001

To the bus station we went that Saturday to see Lulu very early in the Almeida run. The theatre was being refurbished that season – hence the bus station.

This play might have benefitted from the more intimate atmosphere of the Almeida Theatre itself. The coldness of the bus station served to emphasise the absence of warmth in a sex worker’s craft.

With Anna Friel, Oliver Milburn and Alan Howard taking lead roles and Jonathan Kent directing, it was always going to be a well put together show. Here is a link to the Theatricalia entry.

Nicholas de Jongh was captivated by Anna Friel’s Lulu, but several of his critic colleagues were not. The following piece from the Standard shows the critical divide.

Lulu de Jongh Standard Lulu de Jongh Standard 20 Mar 2001 Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Janie and I were similarly conflicted over this one It wasn’t just about the bus station setting. Wedekind’s work is open to wide interpretation and this version seemed to be hedging its bets.

Our friend, Michael Billington, expressed similar sentiments well:

Lulu Billington Guardian Lulu Billington Guardian 20 Mar 2001 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Susannah Clapp was kinder to it than most:

Lulu & Boston Marriage, Clapp Observer Lulu & Boston Marriage, Clapp Observer 25 Mar 2001 The Observer (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Were we glad to have seen this production? Of course we were.

Look, Europe! by Ghazi Rabihavi, Almeida Theatre, Followed By Dinner At Granita, 5 October 2007

This must have been one of our biggest weekends of theatre and dining ever. Following a long night of Caryl Churchill and Nobu on the Saturday…

Blue Heart: Heart’s Desire & Blue Kettle by Caryl Churchill, Royal Court Downstairs At Duke of York’s Theatre, Followed By Dinner At Nobu, 4 October 1997

…we did the “theatre plus big night out dinner” thing again the next night.

Look, Europe! was, I think, a one-off awareness and fundraising evening for anti-censorship campaign Index, done under the auspices of Harold Pinter and primarily aimed and about Iranian censorship.

Fine cast too – joining Harold Pinter were Joseph Bennett, Anna Friel, Rhydian Jones, Andrew Lincoln, Roger Lloyd Pack, David MacCreedy, Nadia Sawalha, Nadim Sawalha, Christopher Simon and Malcolm Tierney.

David Lister wrote the event up brilliantly as a preview in the Independent:

Look Europe Lister IndyLook Europe Lister Indy 03 Oct 1997, Fri The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Janie and I were both very taken by the evening at the theatre, which was good drama and very thought provoking for its cause.

Dinner At Granita

Then a few doors down to Granita in Upper Street, which we had been meaning to try for ages. Apparently the spiritual home of New Labour, as Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are said to have made their leadership pact there a few years before our visit.

Tragically, not only were there no cabinet ministers to be seen in there on that Sunday evening, we didn’t even see Harold, Antonia and Co “after show”, which we thought must be a racing certainty.

We did still have a very good meal, though.

And to prove her superwoman credentials, after that action packed weekend, Janie went off at about 6:30 the next morning to treat her first domiciliary patient of the day. 25 years later – not a chance – we’d probably take the Monday off, if not the Monday and Tuesday!