It's a rare month in which I see more plays than films, but, somehow, May turned out to be one of those months. So here's that meme/questionnaire.
List the last 10 things you saw at the theatre in order:
1.Three Farces (Orange Tree)
2. Much Ado About Nothing (Globe)
3. The Mousetrap (St. Martin's)
4. Hamlet! The Musical (Richmond)
5. Hamlet (Northern Broadsides)
6. Moonlight (Donmar)
7. The Cherry Orchard (Olivier, NT)
8. A Delicate Balance (Almeida)
9. I Am The Wind (Young Vic)
10. Bette & Joan (Arts)
Who was the best performer in number one (Three Farces)?
Enjoyed all the performances, but Clive Francis was especially memorable.
Why did you go to see number two (Much Ado About Nothing)?
Word-of-mouth about the production. And (whisper this) hadn’t been to the Globe before.
Can you remember a line/lyric from number three (The Mousetrap) that you liked?
No. But it was fun while it lasted.
What would you give number four (Hamlet! The Musical) out of ten?
Ten, without a doubt.
Was there someone hot in number five (Hamlet)?
Not that I recall, I'm afraid. A solid Hamlet. But not a sexy one.
What was number six (Moonlight) about?
Ha! What indeed? Dying. Remembering. Forgetting. The place of the past in the present. Familial estrangement, how close and how distant our family members can be, simultaneously. Mostly I think it was about David Bradley saying: “Bollocks to the lot of them. And bugger them all.”
Who was your favourite actor in number seven (The Cherry Orchard)?
Again a great ensemble all round. But Kenneth Cranham as Firs was particularly brilliant, especially in the final moments.
What was your favourite bit in number eight (A Delicate Balance)?
Loved the whole thing. But especially fond of Diana Hardcastle as Edna saying : "I do [speak my mind] sometimes… When an environment is not all that it might be." A line with a lot of resonance for me, clearly.
Would you see number nine (I Am The Wind) again?
Hahaha. Love Chereau. But no.
What was the worst thing about number ten (Bette & Joan)?
Nothing really, enjoyed it thoroughly. Although I do regret not jumping up to pick up Anita Dobson’s knitting when it rolled off the stage in the first five minutes.
Which was best?
A Delicate Balance.
Which was worst?
I Am The Wind. It made me feel. Like. A. Concrete. Wall. A concrete. Wall. That’s crumbling. To pieces.
Did any make you cry?
Not majorly but had a tear in the eye when Eve Best, as Beatrice in Much Ado, said : "But then there was a star danced, and under that was I born." And Penelope Wilton's Agnes suddenly recalling her lost son in A Delicate Balance touched me alot.
Did any make you laugh?
Oh yes. Three Farces, Hamlet! The Musical, Much Ado, Moonlight, A Delicate Balance, & Bette & Joan. And a bit of an inappropriate giggling fit in The Cherry Orchard. Blame that there Ought to Be Clowns. (“Fluff.”)
Which roles would you like to play in any of them?
Well, the big H of course. Musical or non-musical. Otherwise, Laertes or Horatio will do just fine.
Which one did you have best seats for?
Bette & Joan. I Am The Wind. Front row’s the place to be, sir.
We used to go to the theatre quite a lot when we lived in London - including lots of fringe-type productions on tiny stages at the back of pubs. I wish I saw more plays now, but it's not quite so easy up here without long drives there and back. We did see 'Yerma' recently at the West Yorkshire Playhouse - which I wrote about on my blog. I remember seeing 'A Delicate Balance' some time ago in Nottingham and thought it an absolutely superb piece of theatre. (Also 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'. Must have been at the Nottingham Playhouse.)
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