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:

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

Out In The Open by Jonathan Harvey, Hampstead Theatre, 23 March 2001

I remember this play in particular for its juxtaposition, a week after our visit to Doug and Paul’s house, as a quintessentially gay play.

I remember quite liking the play and being impressed by the cast, while feeling that “we can get all that at home”…or at least, at Doug and Paul’s home.

Excellent cast: Mark Bonner, James McAvoy, Linda Bassett, Sean Gallagher, Michele Austin and Vilma Hollingbery, directed by Kathy Burke.

Charles Spencer in The Telegraph rather liked this one:

Out Spencer Telegraph Out Spencer Telegraph 22 Mar 2001 The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Nicholas de Jongh gave it the dreaded Standard blob:

Out de Jongh Standard Out de Jongh Standard 21 Mar 2001 Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

While our friend, Michael Billington, hedged and gave it three stars. I think we sort of went with three stars too.

Out Billington Guardian Out Billington Guardian 21 Mar 2001 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

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