21.2.07 : Having directed a collection of Pinter's Revue sketches in the past I was really interested to see Pinter's People. I wasn't that impressed, probably because I was in the completely wrong frame of mind for seeing it along with the feeling that the sumptious and ornate Theatre Royal, Haymarket was entirely the wrong venue for such a show. Better off at a Fringe or Studio space, I would have thought - particularly as it was nowhere near full. And when the lead actor comes out to introduce the show - well, I'm sorry, but that's a complete turn-off.
16.2.07 : Another member of the Sins Attached band turns up! [see 8.2 below] I met guitarist George Marshall in the gents at the National before seeing Happy Days. Marie and I felt the Fiona Shaw/Deborah Warner Happy Days was a little sanitised but were mightily impressed, later, by The Dumb Waiter at the Trafalgar Studios. Pinter's theatre of menace done complete justice in this outstanding production of my favorite play, Harry Burton directing Lee Evans and Jason Isaacs.
12.2.07 : Jennie Taylor [Lie Detector] is to appear in The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance in The Trafalgar Studios [2] from April 4 to May 5. [see RECENT WORK INCLUDES...]
8.2.07 : Dom Yates, lighting a corporate event at the Hilton in Bristol, ran into Ben Bayliss [bass guitarist on Sins Attached] who was on the sound crew for the same event.
5.2.07 : Good to chat with Glyn Maxwell [writer of The Best Man, Ed. 2004] again over several glasses of white at Danny Swanson's anniversary party, as well as John Cook, late of Mamma Mia, Lou Wallace [see RECENT WORK INCLUDES...] from The Best Man Film and many other people from stage and screen. Their prolific patronage of my very competetively priced bar ensured a further significant influx of cash into the Edinburgh fund for this year.
3.2.07 : Frost/Nixon at the Gielgud. Having started at the Donmar, what a phenomenal show this is.
30.1.07 : The Rock and Roll Kabaret at Madame Jo-Jo's: some fantastic acts, great evening's entertainment - a real winner, Marie, well done!
23.1.07 : Blasted at the Soho Theatre by Graeae was predictably disturbing [gave me bad dreams] but I felt the production got in the way of Kane's richly poetic text evident even in this her first play and the decision to perform all the stage directions, although exteremely irratating, also showed a certain poetry in the way they are written. Always good to meet someone you know in the audience, particularly another Company member whom you didn't know would be there: when it's your own son it adds a completely different dimension! Amongst others he was with Dan Large.After show discussion was rather tepid so we left after 20 minutes. And then ran into former Comapany Member Martin Vishnick [music on Feint Traces... ] outside - who had just seen Frost/Nixon [see above]
19.1.07 : From Richard Duffy: In case you missed Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, the front page of Wandswoth Borough News a couple of days ago or the growing rumours on the grapevine, we thought that it would be a good idea to let you know about some significant news to hit BAC this week. Wandsworth Borough Council have told us that they wish to remove all of the funding that they currently give to BAC - £100,000. They also want us to pay a commercial rent on the building we are in - £150,00 0. They also want us to pay for the repair and maintenance of the building - £120,000. This means a combined financial hit of £370,000. If this stands then it would be nigh on impossible for BAC to survive. The cuts would come into effect in April this year. The process of the council ratifying this decision begins in just a few weeks - 6 February. We are going to see how things develop over the next few days but it might be that we need to call on your support in other ways in the near future. If you would like to register your support with us it would be great if you could email us at this address: campaign@bac.org.uk Thanks for your help.
Richard Dufty, Senior Producer
BAC, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN
020 7326 8223
18.1.07 : I thought Anthony and Cleopatra at the Novello was better than Much Ado [see below]. Strongly performed by Patrick Stewart [with hair...] and, in particular, the great Harriet Walter, it was directed with precision by Gregory Doran. The last time I saw the Walter-Doran combination was at the Young Vic in 2000 - Macbeth with Anthony Sher. I saw it with my old mate Ian Parker - great supporter of the Edinburgh shows over the years - whom I haven't been in contact with for ages: we chatted with Anthony Sher after that show outside a pub near the theatre. Surprise then, on getting home from A & C, to find an email from Ian: he'd discovered the website. Good Edinburgh story about Ian: based in Grinlay Street one year and crawling up an alleyway at the unearthly hour [for Edinburgh] of 10 am to get a bacon roll, we came across Ian, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, half-way through the customary cigarette, standing, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. "What are you doing here, Ian?" I ventured. " I'm on an interval" he said. "Seeing a show at the Garage, here". Ian, you Lege.Write a message in the guestbook.
14.1.07 : The last night of any of my great friend Charlie Way's plays is always an event and the final performance of The Golden Goose at The Library theatre, Manchester, was no exception. The show itself [also directed by Charlie] was terrific attracting excellent reviews in both The Independent and The Guardian. A kids' show, yes, but Charlie has an innate and extremely rare abilty to write shows for children that are meaningful to, and enjoyable by, adults: in fact the evening performance had more adults than children in the audience. It looked beautiful, was excellently lit and was wonderfully acted. As ever, though, it was the support activities to a Charlie Way last night that [mostly] remain in the memory. These included forays into the infamous Canal Street [yes, I'm being careful about that C and S], some immensely potent Scicilian wine, a "discussion" with the doorman of Eden, and an all night Jazz Club called Matt and Phreds amongst a host of other bars, clubs, restaurants and Mancunian fun-spots... And I'm still here to tell the tale. Just.
6.1.07 : Patrick Marber's Don Juan in Soho is a must see at The Donmar. It's an adaptation of Moliere's Don Juan spiced up with Marber's mischievously salacious eye for corruption and debauchery. Great peformance in the central role by Rhys Ifans, whilst Stephen Wright is outstanding as his sidekick, Stan. [Directed by Michael Grandage who also directed Evita - see below.]
3.1.07 : Happy New Year! Last night I saw one of the closing performances of the RSC's Much Ado About Nothing at the Novello. Tamsin Greig was great as Beatrice whilst it was good to see Joseph Millson again, playing Benedick - I first saw him in Dog In The Manger at the Swan in Stratford. Formerly The Strand Theatre, it's good to see The Novello refurbished: it housed No Sex Please We're British for a run of 6,700 peformances in the seventies and was once called The Waldorf Theatre - it was one of a pair with The Aldwych bookending the Waldorf Hotel.
16.12.06 : Sir Tim Rice was our original financial backer in 1997 so it was good to see Evita again last night [I saw the original Broadway Production]. It remains my favourite musical - that rare breed: an intelligent musical - and this production does it full justice. Faithful to the original concept and script it is superbly staged and wonderfully performed. Elena Roger, in the title role, gets the acolades but as well as Matt Rawle as Che, we were very impressed by Lorna Want as Peron's Mistress, singing the lovely "Another Suitcase in Another Hall": great voice, one to watch. We will always be grateful to Sir Tim for his support for the Comapany still going strong 10 years on, with other offshoots like James Marshall's White Paper and CFKA.
14.12.06 : Excellent party given by Practicum at the Nordic Bar last night: amongst many others, good to see writer David Valera [Press Conference in Practicum's Rachel Corrie Show]. Well done and thanks to Heather & Sam for a great night out.
4.12.06 : Marie and I saw The Rat Trap at The Finborough yesterday - the first production of a Noel Coward play either of us had ever seen. This was his first play, written at the age of 18, in 1918, and this is its first professional production since 1926, as part of the Finborough's [ forgotton voices season ]. I enjoyed it and thought it a good production and the play has an uncanny insight into feminism - albeit about half a century before that term was coined. Highly reccommended - do see it if you can.
2.12.06 : Olivia [see below] was great as Tina in A State Affair and, along with Rita..., the show will be apearing in the National Student Drama Festival next year. Also met Miles Barden at the Greenwood, who appeared with The Company playing the Security Guard in The Night Manager at the Cockpit in 2003. He is doing a one off performance of Pinter's One For The Road in the Kings College building in the Strand on 12th December.
27.11.06 : Olivia Wybraniec is in Rita, Sue and Bob Too/A State Affair at the Greenwood Theatre, London Bridge - Wednesday 29th November - Friday 1st December.
18.11.06 : Dom Yates moves into the realms of video and projection in his latest venture - Sarah Kane's 4.48 Psychosis in Studio 1 at Central this week. [Good preparation for the proposed productin of Pictures and Walls - see Company]
24.10.06. : Sam Collings, who played the Man in A Life Less Ordinary People [and Carl in Without Laughing] in Real To Reel joins its director, Fiona, in her production of Acquaintances & National Amnesty @ The Pleasance. Donna Combe, Ginger in Heather's Pop-dance-tastic, is also in the cast.
10.10.06 : Emma Carrol, who played Abby in Sam's Bedtime in Real To Reel appeared in The Rations Brigade [Danielle Fenemore] on the same bill as Lie Detector at the Cockpit Theatre in the Pound show. Jonathan Dunstan, Miles in Anhedonia [Loise Monaghan] in Real to Reel was in the audience.
1.10.06 : Charles Neville, who played Freddy in Heather's Pop-dance-tastic in Real to Reel, is the brother of Lou Wallace - see Recent Work Includes.../Jon Croker/The Best Man Film.
First Casualty
