Ian Snowley's Library Managment blog

As he liked it?

To Guildford on Saturday to visit friends and see 'Twelfth Night' performed (as Shakespeare would have seen it) by an all male cast, at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. The company, Propeller put on a lively and highly entertaining performance, coping well with the misdirections of this piece. With a rumbustious Toby Belch and a quick witted Feste playing for laughs, this was an excellent night out.

Treading the Boards

To the Old Vic on Saturday night for the '50th Anniversary' production of John Osborne's 'The Entertainer' starring Robert Lyndsay.

We're quite big fans of Lindsay's work, I for one have very fond memories of 'Citizen Smith' and would even admit to watching 'My Family'! We have seen him on stage before in 'Richard III' at the Savoy, so know that he has a commanding stage presence.

The dual challenge of this play is the fact that down-at-heel entertainer Archie Rice, is both at the end of his career, playing support to seedy nude reviews and is really rather nasty to his family too. And of course the fact that Laurence Olivier claimed the role as his own in the original run in 1957.

On balance I think he does pull it off, certainly convincing as a man who knows his prime as a performer is past - even if he can't admit it. However, I'm not quite sure he was so convincing as a family man with no or little feelings for his wife and family. One interesting resonance with today, is the plot line featuring Archie's son Mick, who is kidnapped and subsequently killed during the 'Suez crisis', leading to a rather argumentative wake.

All in all a moving and melancholy but entertaining work, with excellent support from John Normington as Archie's father, and Pam Ferris as his wife.

All that, and the sight of (a partially disguised) Kevin Spacey hurrying down the aisle towards the stage as we left our seats at the end.

The Play's The Thing

On a whim we got tickets for what turned out to be the first preview of Kate Betts' 'On the third day' at the New Ambassadors Theatre.

This is of course, the winning play from the Channel 4/Sonia Friedman Productions TV series 'The Play's The Thing'. We had (thanks to a little advanced advertising on the tube) established that it was Betts' play that had won, and therefore knew a little of what the play was about.

Sonia Friedman was there before the curtain went up to explain a little about the play and to encourage us all for supporting new work. Kate Betts was also in the audience and seemed to be enjoying herself.

As for the play itself, yes it does concern a young man, Mike who may (or may not) be Jesus, and a brother and sister driven apart by guilt over the death of their father and the incestuous relationship between them.

The performances were good, and I felt that the writing had a freshness, and a welcome light touch - including some good lines playing on the possibility that Mike really is Jesus. The characterisations worked well for me, and the situations were believable. However, there was a feeling that the action had been padded out a bit, the pace dropped before the end of the first half, and the 'last supper' motif in the 2nd Act didn't really add anything.

Nonetheless, and interesting and enjoyable night out - and hopefully a success for Sonia Friedman, Kate Betts and all involved.

A spieler's flash*

To the National Theatre on Wednesday for David Eldridge's 'Market Boy' - a tale of Romford Market from 1985-91. Which made it a trifle nostalgic as I lived in Ilford from 1985-1987 (and indeed even visited Romford and its market during that time!).

Obviously Eldridge is writing about more than a street market in East London, and the play includes a number of appearances from Margaret Thatcher, who at one point flies above the stage!

Whilst the story is a little episodic, the excellent performances (especially from Danny Worters as the 'boy' of the title) and the energetic staging make for an engaging and often thought provoking evening.

* A salesman's attractive display of goods!

Like father, like son

Which could be the message of Harley Granville Barker's play 'The Voysey Inheritance' revived this month at the National Theatre, with an excellent cast. The play reminds us that although we live in a world of Enron there really is nothing new under the sun - and where temptation lies some will always follow!