Tag: Jonathan Harvey

Canary by Jonathan Harvey, Hampstead Theatre, 21 May 2010

Well, by this time the Ed Hall era had started at Hampstead Theatre, but this one didn’t really work for us.

It felt to us like an “everything including the kitchen sink” gay saga. Angels in America without the sparkling wit, The Normal Heart without the heart-wrenching pathos. It spanned the decades from 1962 (a fine year IMHO) to the present day.

We really wanted to like it. We didn’t really dislike it. It just didn’t grip and/or move us.

Good troupe from the Liverpool Everyman – it was a shame really.

Here is a search term – click here – that finds you all the reviews and resources available back then.

There’s a YouTube trailer/interview with the playwright for this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=civMWwV1kRY

We no doubt went to Harry Morgans for some comfort food before the show.

Guiding Star by Jonathan Harvey, Cottesloe Theatre, 9 January 1999

The log is unusually silent about this event. Especially unusual, as I was regularly recording my thoughts, even if just solo word, at that time.

I suspect this means that we didn’t think much of the piece/production but didn’t want to rubbish it.

Our diaries are also silent on what we did afterwards, other than a note in Janie’s diary to expect the show to end no earlier than 10pm. I suspect we picked up shawarmas on our way home.

Here is the Theatricalia entry for this play/production.

Nicholas de Jongh in The Standard was quite vocal in not liking the play:

Guiding Star de Jongh StandardGuiding Star de Jongh Standard 12 Nov 1998, Thu Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

John Gross was similarly unimpressed in the Sunday Telegraph.

Guiding Gross Sunday TelegraphGuiding Gross Sunday Telegraph 15 Nov 1998, Sun Sunday Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com