Tag: Hampstead Theatre

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 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?