Last night I went to a preview of London Assurance at the National Theatre (opening performance tomorrow night). I saw this play in 1972 when it was directed by Ronald Eyre for the RSC at the Aldwych. What a cast - Donald Sinden, Roger Rees, Judi Dench and Dinsdale Landen. Top that, because it remains in my memory as one of the great nights at the theatre. Well last night was just as wonderful. With Simon Russell Beale playing Sir Harcourt Courtly, Fiona Shaw playing Lady Gay Spanker, Richard Briers playing her husband, and Michelle Terry as Grace Harkaway. If you want to laugh for two hours non-stop, this is the play for you. Russell Beale is wicked in a part that allows you to overact, and is backed up by a superb cast who don't hesitate to be equally outrageous. However, the real winner of the evening, and I say this with no disrespect to anyone on the stage, is Mr Mark Thompson. Have you ever heard of him? I doubt it. But his four sets are staggering, as they peel one by one up into the fly gallery. The moment you arrive, the first set - the facade of a London town house - disappears immediately as it plays the role of the curtain going up, to reveal the interior of the house. Then that disappears, and you are outside a country house in Gloucestershire. Then that turns around and becomes the interior of the country house. Wow. All in all, an evening to remember.
Tonight is the opening night of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies, so it's a good week for openings.
Tonight is the opening night of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies, so it's a good week for openings.
4 Comments:
I'm so envious. I love London and love going to plays. Only problem - I live in Toronto!
Dear Mr Archer:
I am a Japanese women who lived in Hong Kong for almost 22 years.
Since last year, I started to purchase your books in English through Amazon because it is rather difficult to get your books already translated to Japanese at here.
Yesterday, I finished to read the 'A Prisoner of Birth' after I read your all 'Prison Diary.
Of course Mr Danny Cartwright is a charming & strong person who I met in your book, however, I really miss Sir Nicholas Moncrieff who are really traditional English gentleman and most attractive man among your all works. So that I felt very sorry for his tragic but
'should not to be happend' death!
Could I ask that do you have a plan to write 'A Prisoner of Birth - part 2'? So that we can punish the bad guy who killed my love - Mr Nick - and can trace the three bad men who trapped Mr Danny's present (must be very miserable) life.
Besides, do you have a plan to trip Hong Kong for book advertising? If you have, please let me know so that I can be the first person which stand on the line with your new book and pen for getting your sign.
Thanks for create such a men as Nick!
Your reader,
T Okabe
LOVE NEVER DIES, i beleive is an adaptation of the Phantom of the Opera sequel written by Frederick Forsyth (titled PHANOTM OF MANHATTAN. the book did not fare welll...at least compared to other Forsyth novels. WOnder how the play will fare
What a fab evening Lord A. I have tickets already booked for a trip in late April! So we share some tastes!
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