There’s nothing like a good production of an Ibsen play…
…and this was nothing like a good production of an Ibsen play.
It seemed like such a good idea at the time.
Janie and I had not yet seen any Ibsen play together and Janie had never seen Hedda Gabler and it was summer and the idea of theatre in the park sounded lovely.
This might have been the first time Janie and I “walked” together at half time.
On reminding Janie recently (December 2019) about this particular evening she simply said:
OMG it was dreadful
In truth, Janie and I had a tough search for a truly good Hedda. Richmond Theatre (previewing a West End Francesca Annis Hedda) in 1999 was a bit of a staid production. It wasn’t until 2005, Richard Eyre’s production at the Almeida (Eve Best as Hedda) that I thought Janie had seen a good enough production to be able to claim that we had both done Hedda.
So I’ve done four Heddas…in fact I think I might have seen a small town Hedda in my student days, making it five. As Judge Brack puts it:
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:
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.
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:
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…
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.
Inside of St Stephen’s Reimagined by Nano Banana Lite 2 on my instruction.
Sunday, 3 November 1985 – not a very nice day – mum and dad went to aborted wedding – I did exam (had Chinese after).
I have no recollection of this aborted wedding incident and cannot imagine whose intended wedding it wasn’t. I sense that mum in particular was upset by the business.
Monday, 4 November 1985 – office ok – I suppose – quiet evening at home.
Tuesday, 5 November 1985 – work ok – lazy-ish evening in.
Wednesday, 6 November 1985 – office ok – took folks out for Greek meal in evening (anniversary).
Not just any anniversary – it was their 30th wedding anniversary. A Greek meal might have been more appropriate for the 20th (China), but I’m sure they thought that me taking them out was a pearl of a gesture.
Thursday, 7 November 1985 – work ok – went to backseat drivers class in evening.
Friday, 8 November 1985 – Odd day at work – Sujen send off at lunchtime – long lunch! Went to Cardiff [to visit Jilly Black] in evening – Italian meal etc.
Saturday, 9 November 1985 – Earlyish start but did little – day went quick. Went to see Ibsen Doll’s House and for Chinese meal in evening.
OK, I have managed to find a newspaper clipping about that Doll’s House production in Cardiff. It seems we attended the last night.
From another mention in The Argus it seems we parted with £3.50 each, back when £3.50 was real money for a cushioned pew and a cup of cold coffee, unless Jilly’s student status entitled us to a discount.
Strangely, I remember the production as being rather good, although it was somewhat surpassed when Janie and I saw Janet McTeer, Owen Teale & John Carlisle in A Doll’s House more than 10 years later – unfair comparison, I know, I know.
Sunday 10 November 1985 – early start – went to Polly’s for lunch – left in afternoon – quiet evening at home.
I seem to recall that Polly was a charming young woman with a strident Welsh Nationalist boyfriend, which seemed super-cool at the time.
Monday 11 November 1985 – work ok – studied in evening for home exam.
Tuesday 12 November 1985 – work ok – did some academic work in the evening.
Wednesday 13 November 1985 – busyish day at the office – lousy journey – did home exam in evening.
Thursday, 14 November 1985 work ok-ish – felt pretty low in evening – didn’t go to drivers class.
Don’t worry about me, dear reader – I went to Keele for the weekend the next day and that made me feel happy again for a while. Until the next episode…
