Tag: Paul Brightwell

My First Weekend At Clanricarde: Encountering Van Morrison, Single Spies by Alan Bennett, National Theatre, With Bobbie & Bridge At Pam & Michael’s Place, 3 & 4 December 1988

Saturday 3 December: Much sorting to do re flat – went to see Single Spies in eve – B came back to mine

My appointments diary informs me that my Zanussi washing machine was delivered to the flat that morning. I remember going for my first local shopping expedition after the machine arrived.

I am fairly sure that it was on that very first Saturday’s shopping spree that I found myself face-to-face with Van Morrison on the traffic island which divides the north from the south side of the Bayswater Road. We exchanged glances. I nodded, in as much of a “cool, nodding acquaintance” manner as I could muster.

Van-Morrison

I remember thinking that the Van encounter proved that I had really arrived in a hip, happening place – I was going to be rubbing shoulders with Van Morrison and people of that sort all the time from now on. Well, to some extent I suppose I have got to meet quite a lot of such media folk in the neighbourhood since, but that traffic island encounter with Van the Man was, sadly, a one-off. “No Van is an island”, I suppose.

Single Spies is actually two Alan Bennett plays: An Englishman Abroad and A Question Of Attribution. Both are about the Cambridge Spy Ring. The first of the two plays had been knocking around for a few years before this production – it is primarily about actress Coral Browne’s encounters with Guy Burgess. The second play was about Anthony Blunt’s role as art advisor to the Queen.

Here is a link to the Theatricalia entry.

According to the National Theatre’s historical notes, A Question of Attribution contained:

the first representation on the British stage of a living monarch, in a scene in which Sir Anthony Blunt has a discussion with ‘HMQ’.

Prunella Scales and Simon Callow played the leads in both plays. I think this was the first time I saw Prunella Scales on stage, although she had seen me ponce about in tights some 10 years earlier:

Twelfth Night, Alleyn’s School, 12, 14, 15 & 16 December 1978

I thought the production (Single Spies, I mean, not Twelfth Night) was very good and said so in my notes. I’m pretty sure Bobbie liked the production too. I think we might have eaten at the National that evening – I can’t believe that I was geared up to cook yet at Clanricarde.

Below is Michael Billington’s Guardian review:

Billington on Single SpiesBillington on Single Spies Sat, Dec 3, 1988 – 21 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Below is Michael Ratcliffe’s Observer review:

Ratcliffe on SpiesRatcliffe on Spies Sun, Dec 4, 1988 – 44 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Sunday 4 December: Went to Pam & Michael’s in eve for dinner and bridge

I wonder who made the fourth for bridge that evening? It was before my irregular social group had emerged, so it wouldn’t have been Andrea on that occasion. I’ll guess it was a friend of Pam & Michael’s – perhaps one of the Setty/Gareh family or possibly it was Ralph Glasser. The diary is silent on such details – never mind.

I’ll have walked there and back, learning that Clanricarde Gardens to Pam & Michael’s place only takes around 15 minutes on foot. Cool.

Faust by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, Lyric Hammersmith, 11 & 18 May 1988

This was a rare opportunity to see Goethe’s Faust in all of its glory – not only the better known Part One but also Part Two.

Bobbie and I saw it over two Wednesday evenings – these were late midweek nights I seem to remember, but I also recall that it was very much worth it.

Simon Callow played Faust. Paul Brightwell played Wagner. Andy Serkis, Linda Kerr Scott, Caroline Bliss…it was quite a cast and crew. Here is the Theatricalia entry.

My log for both evenings reads “very good indeed”.

I do recall that Part One made more sense to me than the ethereal, impressionistic Part Two. But both parts were very entertaining and well worth seeing.

Below are Michael Billington’s Guardian reviews:

Billington On Faust Part OneBillington On Faust Part One Fri, Apr 8, 1988 – 29 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com Billington on Faust Part TwoBillington on Faust Part Two Wed, Apr 13, 1988 – 21 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Michael Ratcliffe reviewed it in the Observer over two weeks. His short Part One review is appended to his Common Pursuit review, embedded in my piece on The Common Pursuit.

Here is Ratcliffe’s review of the whole Faust thing/Part Two:

Ratcliffe On Faust Part TwoRatcliffe On Faust Part Two Sun, Apr 17, 1988 – 39 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com