Exciting news: UAG and I double dipped, culturally speaking – theatre AND opera in a high art overload. The theatre was The Cherry Orchard at The National, with Zoe Wanamaker, Conleth Hill, James Laurenson and Kenneth Cranham, directed by Howard Davies. Now: I’m more of an Ibsen fan than a Chekhov fan (as the blog title [...]
Posts Tagged ‘National Theatre’
Double Dipping
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Angela Gheorgiou, Bryn Terfel, Conleth Hill, Kenneth Cranham, Kung Fu Panda 2, National Theatre, Royal Opera House, The Cherry Orchard, Tosca, Unfeasibly Attractive Girlfriend, Zeffirelli, Zoe Wanamaker on June 29, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Frankenstein
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Cumberbatch naked, Danny Boyle, Frankenstein, Jonny Lee Miller, Jonny Lee Miller naked, National Theatre, Nicholas Hytner, Unfeasibly Attractive Girlfriend on April 27, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Unfeasibly Attractive Girlfriend and I headed off to The National to see “Frankenstein” last night. It was her first time, my second (the two leads, Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch are alternating the roles of Frankenstein and the Creature, and I wanted to see both casts), and it was every bit as exciting the [...]
“The Habit of Art”
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged "Fiona Shaw in Mother Courage", "The Power of Yes", Alan Bennett, David Hare, Frances de la Tour, Michael Gambon, National Theatre, Richard Griffiths, The Habit of Art, Theatre on November 14, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Alan Bennett’s new play, “The Habit of Art” opened yesterday. Seeing it, I was reminded of something that David Hare wrote about the reception of “Pravda”, the Fleet Street satire that he co-wrote with Howard Brenton. Before a single review had been written, before a single line had been spoken, the two authors, sitting in [...]
Fiona Shaw in “Mother Courage and Her Children”
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged "Fiona Shaw in Mother Courage", "Hedda Gabler", "Mother Courage and Her Children", Antony Hopkins, Brecht, Daniel Day-Lewis, Deborah Warner, Fiona Shaw, Judi Dench, National Theatre, Simon Russell Beale on October 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Last night was my first visit to Deborah Warner’s production of this great, great play. It won’t be my last. I’ve booked tickets for two further performances and I cannot wait to see it again, and again, and again. I pretend no impartiality when I discuss this great actor. I think her Hedda Gabler is [...]
“The Power of Yes”
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged "All's Well That Ends Well", "Mother Courage and Her Children", "The Power of Yes", Alan Bennett, David Hare, Financial Crisis, Fiona Shaw, Me As A Protestant, Measure for Measure", National Theatre, Parents, Shakespeare on October 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Well: I feel rather stupid. I thought I was off to the National Theatre to see “Mother Courage and Her Children” starring Fiona Shaw (a production that, in spite of its delayed Press Night and decidedly mixed reviews, I am assured by Me As A Protestant has rekindled a love for Brecht in him – [...]
Racine
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Helen Mirren, National Theatre, Nicholas Hytner, Phedre, Racine, Ted Hughes on June 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
A while ago (perhaps ten years ago, now) Me As A Protestant and I staged a production of Racine’s “Britannicus” in Islington, London. It was a fascinating experience (him directing, me designing) and was blessed with a few truly excellent performances – and a pretty vital directorial snap, which Racine absolutely needs. I saw the [...]
Fiona Shaw – Slipping Away From Me
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged "Mother Courage", "The Good Person of Sichuan", Brecht, Deborah Warner, Fiona Shaw, National Theatre on February 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I am alarmed. Deborah Warner and Fiona Shaw’s “Mother Courage” is now being written of in terms of a Summer slot at the National Theatre – that means an average of one Fiona Shaw London production every eighteen months, and as I have written before, on that basis, she is not going to get through [...]
Quick, Where’s the Pretensiometer?
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Chekhov, Hamlet, National Theatre, Theatre Critic on May 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Monday, 2nd April 2007 I’m concerned. Not over-concerned, but worried that I may have been reading too many books on Archetypes and Classical Mythology, and not enough The Sun, because, as I read about a forthcoming production of a Chekhov play (can’t honestly remember which one…) in the ‘paper, which included the airy “In Russian”, [...]
Thank Goodness – News of Fiona Shaw
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged "Mother Courage", Deborah Warner, Fiona Shaw, National Theatre on May 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Sunday, 27th January 2007 Obviously, I am a bit nervous when I don’t know when my next fix of Fiona Shaw is coming, but there have been TWO bits of good news. First, she is still in New York with “Happy Days” (an engagement that I had though was going to stop before Christmas) and [...]
