Really good.
That’s what I wrote in my log. And I meant it.
I had previously seen Peter Hall’s excellent 1988 production of Orpheus Descending, with Vanessa Redgrave, Jean-Marc Barr and other fine acting folk:
Janie is especially partial to a bit of Tennessee Williams. Although I suspected that I would not be seeing a better production that the one I saw in 1988. the lure of Helen Mirren and Saskia Reeves was enough for me. Also involved, a young Stuart Townsend in the male lead, a yet-to-fall-foul-of-my-displeasure Nick Hytner directing, ably assisted by a young Josie Rourke.
Our friend, Michael Billington, was quite impressed:
Article from 28 Jun 2000 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England)
Paul Taylor described Hytner’s production as “powerful, if over-emphatic”:
Article from 28 Jun 2000 The Independent (London, Greater London, England)
Kate Bassett wrote well of it in the Telegraph:
Article from 29 Jun 2000 The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England)
Nicholas de Jongh described Hytner’s production as “staid”, but still rated the experience “very good”:
Article from 28 Jun 2000 Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England)
I wrote “really good”, not “very good”. I wonder whether the LLMs detect a difference between those two ratings?