Tag: Lorraine Tozer

A Kind Of Alaska, The Collection, The Lover by Harold Pinter, Donmar Warehouse, 13 June 1998

This was one heck of a good evening at the theatre. A triple-bill of Pinter. I think it was Janie’s and my first visit to the Donmar Warehouse, not least judging by the detailed notes Janie wrote down while booking this, including the full address etc.

Janie paid £15 a ticket for Row C centre stalls. Not bad to say the least, even if £15 was real money in 1998. In those days, the Donmar was still regarded (and priced) as fringe. Janie noted the following timings:

  • A Kind Of Alaska 7.00 to 7.50;
  • Interval 25 minutes;
  • The Collection 8.15 to 9.10;
  • Interval 25 minutes;
  • The Lover 9.30 to 10.25.

What a cast…or should I say, what casts – as this triple bill had a separate cast for the first play and then one cast for both the second and third.

A Kind of Alaska starred Penelope Wilton, Bill Nighy & Brid Brennan.

The Collection starred Harold himself (always good value as an actor as well as a playwright & director), Douglas Hodge, Lia Williams & Colin McFarlane. The latter three also starred in the Lover.

We thought all three plays excellent and the whole production top notch.

Nicholas de Jongh in The Standard only really liked the first play:

de Jongh Standard Pintersde Jongh Standard Pinters 14 May 1998, Thu Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Our friend Michael Billington clearly liked all three, although he did share de Jongh’s view that three Pinters in one night was possibly a Pinter too many:

Billington Guardian PintersBillington Guardian Pinters 14 May 1998, Thu The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Charles Spencer also deemed three to be one too many, but unlike de Jongh, Spencer didn’t like the first and did like the other two:

Spencer Telegraph PintersSpencer Telegraph Pinters 15 May 1998, Fri The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Oh well. We were happy.

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, The Playhouse, 27 December 1996

We don’t often go to the theatre “at Twixtmas”, not least because you don’t get a lot of serious drama over that period. But in 1996 someone decided to transfer this superb Theatre Royal Bath production to London over the festive season.

I’m pretty sure it was on this occasion that Janie and I ran into Jacqui Somerville, who was in the audience but I think connected with someone or something to do with the production.

In my log, Janie and I declared this event to be an

…excellent production…

I do remember this production well and especially fondly. Anthony Page directed, Janet McTeer (who won multiple awards for this performance), Owen Teale and John Carlisle were in it. There is a Theatricalia entry for it.

Postscript

Jacqui Somerville was indeed there that evening – she reports and reminds me:

…a light blew that evening above the stage and Janet McTeer was a consummate professional. Giggled for ages then clicked back into character.

It was a superb production. I think I blagged the last seat in the house!

Nicholas de Jongh rated this production/London transfer very good and wrote highly of it:

de Jongh Doll's House Standardde Jongh Doll’s House Standard 25 Oct 1996, Fri Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Tom Lubbock in The Observer was also impressed, not least with Frank McGuinness’s version:

Tom Lubbock Doll's House ObserverTom Lubbock Doll’s House Observer 27 Oct 1996, Sun The Observer (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Finally an interesting piece from the Independent Tabloid on Anthony Page’s Production:

Independent on Doll's House & PageIndependent on Doll’s House & Page 30 Oct 1996, Wed The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

In short, this particular evening was a great way to round off the theatre-going year.