Tag: Jan Shand

The Belle Of The Belfast City by Christina Reid, Orange Tree Room, 5 June 1993

Of the three plays Janie and I went to see at the Orange Tree Room together, before that “above the pub” bit of the Orange Tree empire closed down, this is the only one for which I still have the “programme” – i.e. sheet of paper:

Just as well I have the sheet, because, unlike Saigon Rose – click here or below…

Saigon Rose by David Edgar, Orange Tree Room, 20 March 1993

…I cannot find any reviews on-line.

Ian Angus Wilkie of NewsRevue fame once again found his way into the cast; he must have found favour with the Orange Tree folk back then and for good reason.

I was gutted that Ian Angus Wilkie didn’t list NewsRevue in his recent relevant experience – it had only been about a year before – perhaps less ( I have a feeling he did Edinburgh or Christmas that 1992 year). How could he hold back on reporting that career highlight?

All I wrote in my log for this one was that I thought it was a very good play/production – which was the way I felt about all the things we saw in that Orange Tree Room…but in truth this was the least memorable of the three, for me.

Roots by Arnold Wesker, Cottesloe Theatre, 22 April 1989

My log suggests that we thought this production was good. I’m not a huge fan of Wesker’s plays; in fact this one sticks in my memory as probably the most interesting of all those I have seen and read.

Here is the Wikipedia entry for the play.

Here is the Theatricalia entry for the production Bobbie and I saw at the Cottesloe.

Good cast – Maria Miles as Beatie and Caroline Quentin as Jenny.

This sort of play works really well in a small house like the Cottesloe; I remember the production having a very intimate feel.

Bobbie might remember even more about it.

Below is Nicholas de Jongh’s Guardian review:

de Jongh on Rootsde Jongh on Roots Wed, Feb 8, 1989 – 46 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com