Tag: Lyttelton Theatre

The Forest by Alexander Ostrovsky, Lyttelton Theatre, 30 January 1999

Oh dear! I wrote the following in my log:

It was so bad we walked out at half time.

In those days, that meant REALLY bad.

Here is a link to the Theatricalia entry.

Nicholas de Jongh liked it:

Forest de Jongh StandardForest de Jongh Standard 29 Jan 1999, Fri Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Our friend, Michael Billington in The Guardian, also liked it:

Forest Billington GuardianForest Billington Guardian 30 Jan 1999, Sat The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Susannah Clapp in the Observer was a little more equivocal:

Forest Clapp ObserverForest Clapp Observer 31 Jan 1999, Sun The Observer (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

While Robert Butler in The Sunday Indy didn’t really like it, finding it TV cosy in the way that probably put us right off:

Forest Butler IndependentForest Butler Independent 31 Jan 1999, Sun The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

The Invention Of Love by Tom Stoppard, Lyttelton Theatre, RNT, 27 December 1997

We normally liked to see these “Cottesloe-type plays” at the Cottesloe, but we missed the boat with this one, seeing it a few month’s later at the Lyttelton.

Not really our cup of tea, this one. Janie isn’t all that keen on Stoppard in general and I found this one “a bit slow”.

I suspect we were both exhausted having worked all the way up to Christmas and then done the family bit for Christmas itself. I can see that Janie arranged a cab for Pauline, so I suspect this is the Christmas that Pauline came to the house and was thoroughly rude to my mum, dad, Hilary, Jacqui and Len – Len tried snipping back – good for him.

But away from the real life drama, this Stoppard drama was about A. E. Housman, with a marvellous cast, including John Wood as “the man in old age” and Paul Rhys as “a younger version of the man”. Also a selection of the usual suspects for fine National Theatre character acting, including Michael Bryant, Robin Soans, Benjamin Whitrow and John Carlisle. Richard Eyre directing – at the National for the last time. There is a Theatricalia entry – here.

Nicholas de Jongh in The Standard loved it:

Invention Standard de JonghInvention Standard de Jongh 02 Oct 1997, Thu Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Paul Taylor in the Independent also loved it:

Invention Standard de JonghInvention Standard de Jongh 02 Oct 1997, Thu Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

My friend Michael Billington was also taken with it:

Invention Guardian BillingtonInvention Guardian Billington 02 Oct 1997, Thu The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Amy’s View by David Hare, Lyttelton Theatre, 23 August 1997

Superb.

That was my one word verdict on my log about this one.

Richard Eyre directing Samantha Bond, Eoin McCarthy, Ronald Pickup, Dame Judi and other excellent members of the cast – here is the Theatricalia entry for this play/production.

Our friend Michael Billington didn’t like it much:

Amy's Billington GuardianAmy’s Billington Guardian 23 Jun 1997, Mon The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Whereas Paul Taylor in the Indy quite liked it:

Amy's Taylor IndyAmy’s Taylor Indy 21 Jun 1997, Sat The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Charles Spencer in the Telegraph found it anti-climactic…

Amy Spencer TelegraphAmy Spencer Telegraph 21 Jun 1997, Sat The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

…and Nicholas de Jongh in The Standard found it old-fashioned.

Amy's de Jongh StandardAmy’s de Jongh Standard 23 Jun 1997, Mon Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

So, only me and Janie rating it highly when it first came out then – but Amy’s View transferred to the West End and Broadway picking up Tony nominations and a New York Drama Critic’s award.

The Homecoming by Harold Pinter, RNT Lyttelton Theatre, 5 April 1997

We celebrated our homecoming from the Middle East with a visit to the theatre to see this wonderful production of, coincidentally, Pinter’s The Homecoming.

What a cast. Lindsay Duncan, Michael Sheen, Eddie Marsan, Keith Allen & David Bradley. Roger Michell directed it.

Here is a link to the Theatricalia entry.

Janie and I were both really taken with the play and the production.

Paul Taylor in the Independent really didn’t like it:

Paul Taylor Homecoming IndyPaul Taylor Homecoming Indy 25 Jan 1997, Sat The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Nicholas de Jongh in The Standard was not too sure either:

Nicholas de Jongh Standard HomecomingNicholas de Jongh Standard Homecoming 24 Jan 1997, Fri Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Charles Spencer in The Telegraph seemed more or less to “get it” in the way we got it:

Homecoming Spencer TelegraphHomecoming Spencer Telegraph 24 Jan 1997, Fri The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

While my friend Michael Billington in the Guardian got it:

Billington Guardian HomecomingBillington Guardian Homecoming 24 Jan 1997, Fri The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Elsinore by Robert Lepage, Lyttelton Theatre, 4 January 1997

Elsinore image borrowed from Ex Machina website – click here.

Fewer than 24 hours after my hive-ridden return from the frozen north of England, Janie and I went to see this Robert Lepage/Ex Machina production from The Great White North (Canada).

In truth I remember little about it. I think I was squirming in my seat only in part because of the hives.

At the time, this sort of multimedia theatrical experience was novel, but it did seem, to us, that the technological wonder of it was rather superseding the drama and/or tension that we normally experience at the theatre.

Carole Woddis, in The Independent, made some rather similar points.

Here’s Charles Spencer’s take from the Telegraph:

Elsinore Charles Spencer TelegraphElsinore Charles Spencer Telegraph 22 Nov 1996, Fri The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Nick Curtis in the Standard truly rubbished the production.

06 Jan 1997, Mon Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Perhaps this piece worked better in colder climes.

John Gabriel Borkman, Henrik Ibsen, Lyttelton Theatre, 20 July 1996

This was a great production of great play.  Paul Scofield as the big man, Vanessa Redgrave as the long-suffering wife, Eileen Atkins, Michael Bryant, a great supporting cast, Richard Eyre directing, what was not to like?

Here is a link to the Theatricalia entry for this production.

Janie doesn’t tend to like “classics” but tends to makes an exception for Ibsen. This production was no exception to her exception.

As is often the case, the Lyttleton did the play no favours, too big and set back for intimacy yet not quite big enough or shaped right to be the big stage. But when the only criticism one can muster is that, the fact is that this was a great night at the theatre and I am so glad we saw this production.

Paul Taylor in the Independent loved it – click here.

Here’s another little review archive link – click here.

Michael Billington in the Guardian waxed lyrical about it:

Billington on BorkmanBillington on Borkman Sat, Jul 13, 1996 – 30 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

But in truth, you had to be there.  One of the more memorable evenings at the theatre.

Blue Remembered Hills by Dennis Potter, Lyttelton Theatre, 25 May 1996

I’ve long been partial to a bit of Potter, as has Daisy.

I had seen the original TV film of this one and to some extent had my doubts about it, as I have never much enjoyed the conceit of adult actors playing the role of children.

Still, the chance to see a National production of a Potter won the day. Many members of this fine cast went on to bigger and bolder things. Steve Coogan, Nigel Lindsay, Debra Gillett, Geraldine Somerville. Patrick Marber directed it.

The Theatricalia entry for this play/production can be found here.

Michael Coveney in The Observer hated it:

Coveney on HillsCoveney on Hills Sun, May 5, 1996 – 65 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Whereas Michael Billington wrote highly of it, finding it more translatable from screen to stage than most Potter and describing it as “Potter at his best”:

Billington on HillsBillington on Hills Sat, May 4, 1996 – 26 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

We were both ambivalent about it. It was clearly a fine production. It pleased me more than the TV version. But that “adults playing children” thing still didn’t really work for me.

Below is an excerpt from the original 1979 TV film:

Blue Remembered Hills _ Scene 1+2 from rob blake on Vimeo.

Mary Stuart by Friedrich von Schiller, Lyttelton Theatre, 20 April 1996

Frankly, Janie and I were not too much taken with this one. And how were we to know that, 10 years later, Anna Massey would become one of Janie’s regular clients? And that more than 20 years later both of us would have a go on Mary Stuart’s tennis court at Falkland Palace, which remarkably still plays?

Edinburgh Day Five: Falkland Palace Gardens And Tennis, 21 August 2018

But I digress.

A fine cast, not only Anna Massey but Isabelle Huppert, Tim Pigott-Smith and a fine collection of RNT regulars, directed by Howard Davies. The Theatricalia entry for this production can be found here.

It just didn’t really float our boat.

What did the critics make of it, I hear you cry?

Michael Billington described it as “far from perfect” but commendable. I’d go with that:

Billington on Mary StuartBillington on Mary Stuart Fri, Mar 22, 1996 – 2 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Paul Taylor in The Independent described it as a “far from unrewarding evening” – I can go with that too.

Michael Coveney, on the other hand, was absolutely taken with it:

Coveney on Mary StuartCoveney on Mary Stuart Sun, Mar 24, 1996 – 71 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, Lyttelton Theatre, 30 December 1995

I liked this more than Janie did. I thought it was a very good production and I have long had an affection for the play.

Janie sees this as an example of Tom Stoppard being “a bit too clever for his own good”, a view I can understand but with which I don’t agree. Let’s just say that Janie does not remember this fondly.

Amazing cast, with Adrian Scarborough & Simon Russell Beale in the eponymous roles. Here is the Theatricalia entry for this one.

Michael Billington is with Janie on the play and with me on the production:

Billington on RosencrantzBillington on Rosencrantz Sat, Dec 16, 1995 – 27 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Michael Coveney strangely liked the play but not so much the production.

Sun, Dec 17, 1995 – 60 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

La Grande Magia by Eduardo De Filippo, Lyttelton Theatre, 19 August 1995

Good. Had its moments.

That was the record in the log and that is faint praise. A superb cast including Alan Howard, Bernard Cribbins and Anne-Marie Duff . Richard Eyre directing. What’s not to like?

Here is the Theatricalia entry.

I think the play seemed a bit dated and cheesy to us.

Michael Billington loved it.

Billington on MagiaBillington on Magia Sat, Jul 15, 1995 – 28 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Michael Coveney also loved it. We must have been missing something.

Coveney on MagiaCoveney on Magia Sun, Jul 16, 1995 – 77 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com