Tag: Nadim Sawalha

Howard Katz by Patrick Marber, Cottesloe Theatre, 2 June 2001

Janie and I thought this one was

Very good.

We saw a preview – the first Saturday.

Excellent cast, led by Ron Cook. We loved Closer, so were keen to see more Patrick Marber, who directed this one himself (not always the best idea…) Here is a link to the Theatricalia entry.

Nicholas de Jongh did not like it, awarding the production the dreaded blob:

Katz de Jongh Standard Katz de Jongh Standard 14 Jun 2001 Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Paul Taylor in The Independent, on the other hand, really liked it:

Katz Taylor Independent Katz Taylor Independent 14 Jun 2001 The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Our friend Michael Billington steers closer to de Jongh, liking the performance more than the play:

Katz Billington Guardian Katz Billington Guardian 14 Jun 2001 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Just as well we thought it was very good, then.

Prophet in Exile by Nadim Sawalha, Chelsea Theatre, 8 May 2000

A rare Monday evening visit to the theatre for us. I had booked the day out as a long weekend. Perhaps Janie had intended to do the same, but her diary shows that she treated some patients, engineering it that she ended up in the Kensington & Chelsea area.

We really liked the stuff that little Chelsea Theatre was putting on back then – it had a short flowering of producing the sort of unusual fringe theatre stuff that we like.

This play was basically a biographical piece about Kahlil Gibran, not least the birth of his great work, The Prophet.

This production was very much a family affair for the Sawalha family, with author Nadim appearing in the production, along with brother Nabil and a couple of other Sawalhas; Lara & Omar, in some cases doubling up, playing several smaller parts. Gerald Key played Gibran, Briony Glassco played Mary Haskell and Colin Redgrave directed the production.

This production was previewed in The Standard

Prophet StandardProphet Standard 27 Apr 2000, Thu Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

We rather liked the piece and performances. But then Janie had/has a bit of a thing about The Prophet. But 25 years later, I don’t think I’d get a positive answer if I suggested a Monday night at the theatre, even if the subject matter was close to Janie’s heart!

Look, Europe! by Ghazi Rabihavi, Almeida Theatre, Followed By Dinner At Granita, 5 October 2007

This must have been one of our biggest weekends of theatre and dining ever. Following a long night of Caryl Churchill and Nobu on the Saturday…

Blue Heart: Heart’s Desire & Blue Kettle by Caryl Churchill, Royal Court Downstairs At Duke of York’s Theatre, Followed By Dinner At Nobu, 4 October 1997

…we did the “theatre plus big night out dinner” thing again the next night.

Look, Europe! was, I think, a one-off awareness and fundraising evening for anti-censorship campaign Index, done under the auspices of Harold Pinter and primarily aimed and about Iranian censorship.

Fine cast too – joining Harold Pinter were Joseph Bennett, Anna Friel, Rhydian Jones, Andrew Lincoln, Roger Lloyd Pack, David MacCreedy, Nadia Sawalha, Nadim Sawalha, Christopher Simon and Malcolm Tierney.

David Lister wrote the event up brilliantly as a preview in the Independent:

Look Europe Lister IndyLook Europe Lister Indy 03 Oct 1997, Fri The Independent (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Janie and I were both very taken by the evening at the theatre, which was good drama and very thought provoking for its cause.

Dinner At Granita

Then a few doors down to Granita in Upper Street, which we had been meaning to try for ages. Apparently the spiritual home of New Labour, as Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are said to have made their leadership pact there a few years before our visit.

Tragically, not only were there no cabinet ministers to be seen in there on that Sunday evening, we didn’t even see Harold, Antonia and Co “after show”, which we thought must be a racing certainty.

We did still have a very good meal, though.

And to prove her superwoman credentials, after that action packed weekend, Janie went off at about 6:30 the next morning to treat her first domiciliary patient of the day. 25 years later – not a chance – we’d probably take the Monday off, if not the Monday and Tuesday!

A Dream Of People by Michael Hastings, The Pit, 18 August 1990

I’ve long been partial to a bit of Michael Hastings; I think he is under-rated as a playwright and novelist. So I no doubt chose this one on the back of its authorship.

It’s quite an odd play; sort-of about the welfare state ideal in the hands of a quirky civil service idealogue. Typical Hastings in its untypicality.

Bobbie and I both liked it.

I was reminded of this piece, without remembering exactly which piece I was being reminded of, when Janie and I saw Really Old, Like 45 at The Cottesloe some 20 years later:

Really Old, Like Forty Five by Tamsin Oglesby, Cottesloe Theatre, 30 January 2010

Peter McEnery played the lead and Janet Suzman directed the piece. The Theatricalia entry for the production can be found here. Not yet ever revived (he says in January 2021), I imagine a re-read would quickly determine whether it is now due for a revival or explain why it has not yet been revived.

Michael Billington in The Guardian clearly liked it while peppering his piece with a bit of Billingtonian faint praise.

Billington on HastingsBillington on Hastings Sat, Aug 4, 1990 – 19 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Michael Coveney in The Observer was also fascinated but not entirely convinced:

Coveney on Piano & HastingsCoveney on Piano & Hastings Sun, Aug 12, 1990 – 50 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com