Tag: Hampstead Theatre

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.

Danger: Memory! – I Can’t Remember Anything and Clara by Arthur Miller, Hampstead Theatre, 21 May 1988

The irony in the fact that I can hardly remember anything about this double bill of Arthur Miller plays is not wasted on me.

Nor is that irony likely to be wasted on Bobbie, with whom I saw this double bill at the Hampstead Theatre in 1988, but I’m guessing she remembers little about it. Nor on Janie, with whom I saw it all again at the Orange Tree in 2006.

There is a Theatricalia entry for this production – here.

I’m pretty sure this production was the UK premier of this double bill, which probably felt like an exciting prospect.

But I think we came away from the experience feeling that this was not top notch Miller.

This on-line review from the Guardian, of a subsequent London production, explains the synopses and supports my limited memory.

Here is a link to Frank Rich’s review of the original Lincoln Centre production in New York.

Below is Nicholas De Jongh’s Guardian review:

Nicholas De Jongh Danger: Memory!Nicholas De Jongh Danger: Memory! Fri, Apr 8, 1988 – 28 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Below is Blake Morrison’s Observer review:

Blake Morrison on Danger: Memory!Blake Morrison on Danger: Memory! Sun, Apr 10, 1988 – 37 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Who needs memory once you have subscribed to a Newspaper clippings service?