Tag: Michael Frayn

Afterlife by Michael Frayn, Lyttelton Theatre, RNT, 7 June 2008

This one didn’t really float our boat, although it should have done. Michael Frayn, wrote it, Michael Blakemore directed it, Roger Allam was starring in it, the full forces of the RNT were behind it…

…but it didn’t work for us.

It is basically the story of the turn of the 20th century German/Jewish impresario Max Reinhardt, retold as a morality play.

We saw a preview and wondered whether the production was not quite ready when we saw it, but the reviews seemed to share our reservations:

…you get the idea. A real shame.

As is the RNT’s wont, no on-line archive resource (inverse correlation between organisation’s size/budget and its ability to do sensible things on-line blah blah), but there is an Official London Theatre stub – click here.

 

Absurdia: A Resounding Tinkle and Gladly Otherwise by N.F. Simpson, The Crimson Hotel by Michael Frayn, Donmar Warehouse, 18 August 2007

I’m not sure we were quite in the mood for a triple-bill of British Absurdist comedies. I’m not sure we’d have been in the mood for these plays even if we had been in a more appropriate mood.

Billed as being a precursor to Pythonesque comedy, the only python-like thing in the 1960s N.F. Simpson material was talk about a neighbours snake. His plays were certainly more English whimsy than European absurdism.

The Michael Frayn was a modern piece, but lesser Frayn in my view.

Great cast; it would probably seem worthwhile watching Peter Capaldi paint the ceiling. Douglas Hodge directed this production – he seems to have a good eye and ear for this sort of stuff. It’s just not really our sort of stuff.

The critics weren’t too sure either:

Copenhagen by Michael Frayn, Cottesloe Theatre, 4 July 1998

We both thought this one was superb. Indeed, my log entry has just that one word:

Superb.

I’ve always been partial to a bit of Michael Frayn. This piece helped maintain and enhance my high regard for his work.

Great cast and crew; Sara Kestleman, David Burke and Matthew Marsh performing, Michael Blakemore directing.

Here is a link to the Theatricalia entry.

Our friend Michael Billington loved it and even came up with the sort of witty headline that pleases me…

Billington Guardian CopenhagenBillington Guardian Copenhagen 30 May 1998, Sat The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

…although personally I’d have gone for “Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen”, but then what do I know?

Nicholas de Jongh in TheStandard also liked it:

de Jongh Standard Copenhagende Jongh Standard Copenhagen 29 May 1998, Fri Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Kate Kellaway in The Observer also raved, rating Matthew March “magnificent”:

Kellaway Observer CopenhagenKellaway Observer Copenhagen 31 May 1998, Sun The Observer (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Heck, Copenhagen ran for years and has been revived several times.

Finally, this Michael Frayn interview with Max Davidson just ahead of the first night is fascinating (at least it is to me):

Max Davidson Sunday telegraph with FraynMax Davidson Sunday telegraph with Frayn 24 May 1998, Sun Sunday Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov, Vaudeville Theatre, 11 June 1988

I rated this production very good indeed at the time and I can understand why. Superb cast, with Michael Gambon as Vanya, Imelda Staunton as Sonia, Greta Scatcchi as Yelena, Jonathan Pryce as Astrov, Michael Blakemore directing…

…here is a link to the Theatricalia entry for this production.

Bobbie and I went to this one. I recall sitting very near the front although probably not the very front row.

In 1988 I hadn’t yet formed an aversion to those old-fashioned theatre-land theatres, although we didn’t go to those places all that frequently.

I suspect that we had a late evening Chinese meal in Soho after the show – perhaps Poons, perhaps Mayflower, perhaps Joy King Lau…

A pretty darned good evening as I recall it.

Below is Michael Billington’s Guardian review of the production:

Billington on VanyaBillington on Vanya Thu, May 26, 1988 – 19 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Michael Ratcliffe’s Observer review is below:

Ratcliffe on VanyaRatcliffe on Vanya Sun, May 29, 1988 – 38 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

The First Weekend Of 1986, Including Noises Off by Michael Frayn, Savoy Theatre

From The Daily Telegraph 13 January 1986, via my Newspapers.com subscription

Here’s the diary extract for that weekend starting with Friday:

Friday 3 January 1986 – Went in to the office this morning – finished Ashley’s files. Met Caroline for lunch – went to Effes [meaning Efes] – v pleasant. Had a lazy evening at home + a fairly early night.

I’d forgotten that I sometimes treated Efes in Great Titchfield Street as a lunch place in the Newman Harris Cavendish Square days. My recollection was as a “soak up the beer after work” place, as I said in my write up of the Z/Yen Seasonal Party there, many years after the 1986 visit:

Z/Yen Christmas Do At Efes Restaurant In Great Titchfield Street, 15 December 2000
Update: Caroline remembers Efes as a lunch place more comprehensively than I do – even recalling that her luncheon of choice was No 13- chicken shish. Extraordinary powers of recall, that.

Saturday 4 January 1986 – Lazyish day – went to the high road in afternoon to library etc after lazing for most of the morning. Petra came over late afternoon – went up to town – saw Noises Off – very funny evening, went for late Italian meal. Came back to stay + late night.

Despite having been going for best part of four years, Noises Off was still filling houses and still had an excellent cast: Christopher Godwin, Stephanie Cole, Hugh Paddick, Michael Cochrane, Colette Gleeson, Timothy Carlton, and others too numerous to make it onto the newspaper classifieds at the time. Probably my first sighting of those people and probably my first sight of a Michael Blakemore directed piece too.

I do recall finding the play very funny – especially the middle act. I am really glad to have seen the original production of Noises Off, albeit not the very first cast.

Sunday 5 January 1986 – Saw Petra off this morning – had a big Italian lunch with folks – watched an old movie in the afternoon and had a generally lazy time at home reading etc.

The old movie was The Four Feathers.