October being well under way, it’s fun to be dealing with two species of student, one lot who think it’s the Autumn Term, and another lot working through something called the Fall Semester.
I’m in pre-production meetings with the technical and design teams up at Swiss Cottage with the Central School of Speech and Drama – of which more below – and meanwhile applying myself to the onerous task of sharing theatre visits with young Americans on the NYU London programmes. OK, programs.
At home, the marshland trees are glinting coppery colours, especially the sumacs in my garden, and the deciduous parade out along Coppermill Lane, planted by the ever-environmental Thames Water Ltd…
Tearing myself away from the autumnal paradise that is Walthamstow, each week I set off to see what the West End or the Fringe offer our American visitors. Once more then, to the Haymarket to see “One Man, Two Guvnors” – my third visit. Some of the students thought it was mind-blowing, but others had already seen it in New York, and felt, as I did, that – as is I guess true of all farces – you really should only go once. Owain Arthur – a rare instance of an understudy actually being promoted to above-the-title takeover stardom – is in cracking form in the leading part, so if you haven’t seen it, it’s well worth a look.
Sheridan Smith is almost unavoidable at present. Not that I’m complaining – she’s a lovely presence, and bursting with talent. She and the brilliant RADAgrad Danny Mays kept me tuning in impatiently every week to follow developments in the real-lfe drama “Mrs Biggs”. If you missed it, then get yourself to Amazon and buy the DVD set – you won’t regret it, I promise. Crisp script, sharp directing, superb acting. For me, it held attention even more than my current favourite import, “Homeland” – which, thankfully, has now returned to add zest to our Sunday evenings.So,with eager anticipation to the Old Vic with the Americans to see Sheridan Smith in “Hedda Gabler”. Most of the students thought it was quite wonderful – a beautiful set, and fine performances from a great cast – with the likes of Sheridan Smith, Adrian Scarborough and Fenella Woolgar you can’t go far wrong. But I had two worries, and one was the adaptation.
Brian Friel is one of our greatest living writers, and having directed a couple of his versions of Chekov I was really looking forward to his re-intepretation of Ibsen. But alas, for my money he’s gone off on the wrong tack. Much of the sublety of the original is lost – for example, I think it’s much more effective if the audience suspects Hedda may be pregnant, rather than her declaring it as a fact – and the brooding, ambiguous presence of Judge Brack loses impact if he’s allowed to come over just as an ageing letch. Darren d’Silva is a really good actor, and excellent casting for the part – I just think the script let him down.
My other big worry was the casting of the two main female parts. Sheridan Smith would make a perfect Mrs Elvsted, and the splendid Fenella Woolgar (yet another of our students at RADA during my time as VP) would be a terrific Hedda! But then Sheridan is a big star, and you need the big star in the title role. They’re both, of course, very good indeed in the parts they have been allocated – but it would have been sensational had they been cast the other way round! But if you can, it’s well worth going to see – it’s on till November 10th – and please write to me via ellis@ellisjonescoach.co.uk and tell me if you think I’m writing rubbish.
We went to “Mudlarks” at the smashing new Bush Theatre next to Shepherd’s Bush Market tube. The play is by a young writer (Vickie Donoghue) and is a bit under-nourished – what happened to rigorous dramaturgy? – but several of my students were moved to tears, and the venue is really splendid.
It’s a clever remodelling of an old library building, providing a good-sized performance space, and FOH facilities to put most of the West End to shame, with good food and decent booze at reasonable prices – forget the eight pounds a glass you pay for luke-warm pinot grigio on Shaftesbury Avenue.
It’s a clever remodelling of an old library building, providing a good-sized performance space, and FOH facilities to put most of the West End to shame, with good food and decent booze at reasonable prices – forget the eight pounds a glass you pay for luke-warm pinot grigio on Shaftesbury Avenue. As an unashamed card-carrying Ayckbournian, I loved “A Chorus of Disapproval” at the Harold Pinter Theatre (which used to be the Comedy). I know both this play and “The Beggar’s Opera” (which features strongly in the Ayckbourn story) well, having directed at RADA the young Tom Hiddleston in the Ayckbourn, and Ioan Gruffudd and Matthew Macfadyen in the John Gay.
This production directed by Trevor Nunn starring Rob Brydon provides a very cheering outing in these damp, chilly times. Brydon is excellent, and there are brilliant supporting performances, especially from redoubtable Barrie Rutter and Susan Tracy in fine form – sharp, witty and a joy to watch.
The Bard is looming again – we’re off to see Jonathan Pryce’s “King Lear”. So as a Very Special Treat for the American students we invited the wondrous Frank Barrie to give his “Acting in Shakespeare” lecture. Frank is one of the great figures of British classical theatre, and is of course, a mentor for www.ellisjonescoach.co.uk Early in his career Frank turned down a Hollywood movie contract to play leads at the Bristol Old Vic, and has played most of the great parts, from Romeo to Lear, all over the world. His lecture is rich in anecdote, and brilliant deliveries of great soliloquies. The students were – I don’t think it’s too strong a word – gobsmacked….
I’m off to a meeting at Swiss Cottage, to the Embassy Theatre.
I’ll write more about “Absolute Hell” soon. It’s a remarkable play by one of the most over-looked British writers of the mid twentieth century, Rodney Ackland. It was revived in the late 80’s at the Orange Tree, Richmond, and went on to be a successful TV film and National Theatre show, starring Judi Dench. Check it out:
