Casa Rosales

Casa Rosales

Saturday 20 July 2013

Wrong fellow for 'Othello'

I was indulging in my favourite Saturday morning pastime this morning, having got dear old FR back in bed with me and the children still fast asleep - zonked from a week by the sea - oh yes, it's nice to get things back to normal.

I was, of course, listening to Radio Four with my earphones in to block out the snores from my bedfellow and thoroughly enjoying listening to Lenny Henry's inimitable enthusiasm and vocal range, when the host of 'Saturday Live' - the Reverend Richard Cole, (a man who can match just about any guest's anecdotes with one or more of his own) shared a memory that made my sleepy eyes fly open in amazement. 

The two men were talking about being in their 50s and chapters of their lives. Lenny Henry has done a wide range of things and I've always rather liked him. He started out as a stand up comedian, is a wicked impersonator and has a big, unmistakable personality but he has acted as well, recently taking on Shakespeare a few years ago with Barry Rutter's Northern Broadsides theatre company with whom he played Othello at the West Yorkshire Playhouse to considerable (and quite surprised) critical success. He's now playing in 'Fences', an American drama set in the 50s ... I haven't seen it or heard about it, so I won't even attempt to describe what it's about other than to say it sounds interesting. He is a wonderful chat show host because he can really talk... 

Richard Coles is a true Renaissance man, giving even Stephen Fry a run for his money, I would say. A quick glance at his Wiki page indicates the range of his talents and interests. Whereas I almost always like everything Stephen Fry says, sometime, the Right Reverend's tone grates on me a little and he tends to talk as much as the guests and I sometimes think he should just stop being clever for once.

However, his little comment this morning made me immediately awake and at the same time, back in the 70s again. They were discussing how things had changed in the theatre during the last 35 years...Richard remembers going to Stratford-upon-Avon to see a performance of 'Othello' where *one of the very last actors to be 'blacked up' to play the title role was Donald Sinden. Lenny, knowing - and impersonating - this plummy, hammy actor to a tee, asked what the performance was like. With heavy understatement, Richard Coles said 'let's say it was memorable'. 

Well, I was there in the audience when Donald Sinden played the part. We'd taken a coach from my college in London to see a couple of plays one weekend. And Richard Coles is quite right. I have no idea what the other performance was, but I will never forget the gasps from the whole audience as 'Othello' pranced on stage and uttered his first lines in a voice that almost took our breath away. Talk about over-acting...the following sounds were of stifled giggles. It was unsupportable and, being a dreadful giggler, I had tears rolling down my face and ate about three tissues in my attempt to establish some self-control. Eventually, there was no alternative - I had to leave. 

I remember spending a pleasant few hours in Stratford after that before come coming back on the bus to London. The general impression seemed to be that it was **'an amazing' performance - no one else had left and I remember feeling a tad ashamed of myself at the time - as if I lacked the critical facilities to properly judge a professional performance. But now, of course, being older and more confident, I wonder that the whole audience didn't start booing and laughing until this travesty was off the stage. The Emperor's New Clothes springs to mind...

But memorable indeed it was - and how NOT to do 'Othello'....or anything else for that matter in my opinion!

What's the worst or most memorable performance of a play you have ever seen?


Post script.
* Ben Kingsley was blacked up by the RSC in 1985 too...
**Having thought a little bit, a few more memories have emerged and I have to admit that the rest of the cast were pretty good. I liked Suzanne Bertish as Desdemona and Iago was played with real grit and daring by Bob Peck. It was just Donald that spoilt it for me.

18 comments:

  1. I can just see you, tissues stuffed in mouth, leaving the theatre, wondering why no one else was doing the same thing. It sounds so bizarre now doesn't it ? I think we forget how recently blacking up was seen as acceptable.....and as for that accent !
    I'm not very good at remembering details of things I have seen...Mark is forever telling me we have seen certain films, and I have no memory of them. However, a production of Steetcar in Seattle will always be a stand out one for me. The production was brilliant, but better, for me, was my 16 year old daughter telling the director how inspirational she had found the production, in an after the show discussion.
    My worst theatre experience was probably seeing Romeo and Juliet at Regents Park Open air theatre, when I was about 15....an accent problem again, Juliet had the plumbest, poshest most ridiculous accent I have ever heard.
    So glad you have your nest full again, enjoy the in laws when they arrive. Jxxx

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    1. I'm totally lacking in self-control especially when it comes to giggling hysterically, Janice, but it was truly awful. I have tried to find a review of it but no luck so far. Actually, I probably am rather lacking in self-control full stop - I also remember screaming out loud in 'The Duchess of Malfi - with Helen Mirren but that was because it was SO good and SO engaging that I was completely involved.
      Films tend to blur in my mind though - especially as FR and I used to go every week when we lived in Malaga and I watched them all in Spanish, without necessarily understanding much of what was going on.
      Great when your children express themselves, isn't it? Mateo went with FR to his production and FR was thrilled with Mateo's considered response. Jess obviously knew when she'd seen the right stuff.
      The nest is full but there's still a bit of shuffling about to be done to get the in-laws in. Looking forward to a jolly week!
      Axxx

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  2. It wasn't at a play but at an August Bank Holiday Gala Day Show in the early 1960s with my Mum. She was giggling & spluttering at two red-faced gents warbling in "The Good Old Days" style and my friend and I, aged about 13 and mortified at her lack of self-control, had to escort HER out!

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    1. Good old Mums! Mine used to do it too but my sister and I were usually joining in and making it worse. I used to get awfully embarrassed when younger and anything could make me blush but my sense of humour - or rather, what made me laugh - beat self-consciousness every time. And I've got worse as I've got older. The children don't mind at all but FR finds it quite dreadful sometimes...

      I think you'd have had to take me out of the Good Old Days too, Nilly!

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  3. Like Janice, I don't have much of a memory for performances I've seen, although years ago I regularly went to see new productions at the Theatre Royal, Windsor...lovely theatre.

    However, I can really empathise with the fits of giggles. Some silly thing will set me off, usually in a situation where it is totally inappropriate to laugh, and I would have to remove myself. I've embarrassed my family on many occasions with these outbursts :-(

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    1. I know I've been to more plays than I remember, Ayak, and most of them don't have this effect on me. Oh, but countless other things do! You, me and mine and Nilly's mums would have been a very dangerous combination I think!
      Axxx

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  4. My mother was 'subjected' to wartime performances by E.N.S.A. (Every Night Something Awful)....attendance obligatory.
    A performance of 'Oh, no John, no John, no John no..' at one venue by local worthies reduced her and her friends to hysterics, stifled by hankies in the mouth until, when it became unbearable, crawling out of the hall on all fours.
    I saw Olivier blacked up with Frank Finlay as Iago at the National Theatre...I still think Finlay's acting knocked Olivier's into a cocked hat.

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    1. Yes, I've embarrased friends and family by laughing at local worthies and could snigger now thinking of 'Oh, no John, no John, no John, no...' and love the image of your mother and her friends crawling out of the hall.
      I've heard of the Olivier 'Othello' - and actually do think that Iago is by far the best role to take on. Always rather liked Frank Finlay too.

      Would rather like to see Olivier blacked up singing 'Oh no, John.....' - What do you think?
      Ax

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    2. Am supplying myself with handkerchiefs and bogging pads for crawling out on hands and knees...

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    3. They would be essential...Axxx

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  5. I listened too ... driving to a workshop I shall be posting about shortly.

    And then I drove back too late for a date with Kenneth Brannagh as Macbeth ... one of the cinema showings of filmed live performances we've been enjoying here.

    The flavour of the day was blue with a hint of Shakespeare!

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    1. How nice to think you were listening at the same time, Annie. Makes our worlds seem closer.

      And I do like the idea of the day being blue with a hint of Shakespeare...
      Looking forward to hearing about your workshop.
      Axxx

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  6. Thanks again for pressing the memory button. I was at school in Uttoxeter and in 6th form travelled to the Nottingham Playhouse to see Othello.We were in the very front seats.Olivier was playing Othello.I clearly recall getting sprayed with saliva as he really got into the part!!! x Maria.

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    1. Oh excellent, if rather soggy memory, Maria!
      I think my most memorable Shakespeare performance was seeing Timothy Dalton (before he was James Bond) playing Henry IV part one - he was amazing. And although we were on the front rows, he didn't spit AND he was gorgeous!
      Axxx

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  7. As I usally fall asleep as soon as the lights are dimmed, I fear that I might be the one being laughed at!

    I don't have ear phones but use a pillpw speaker from my radio so that Tim isn't kept awake. It works really well. I'll do a blog post on it.... one day! x

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    1. I suspect you work too hard, Gaynor. I swear you wouldn't have slept through dear Donald's oration!

      I wonder whether it's bad to sleep whilst listening to the radio - I hope not because I do struggle to sleep if left to my own thoughts sometimes. I often have incredible dreams too, and then think I'm psychic - obviously I've heard a snatch of the news subconsciously and woven real life into a dream. That's happened quite a lot and is either very amusing or terrifying, depending on the news I've heard...
      Axxx

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    2. DH has to have the radio on to sleep, Annie, so you're not alone in this. I can't honestly remember any theatrical performances which have reduced me to helpless giggles unless that was the intention, but I'm quite capable of giggling myself silly at the oddest things in conversation.

      Most memorable performances? The first is Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in a student production of Marlowe's Dr Faustus at the Oxford Playhouse in 1966. They performed for free to raise money for a studio theatre extension, which was remarkable when they were at the height of their fame. A friend was in the production and got me a ticket to the dress rehearsal. :-)

      The second was Eric Porter as Lear at Stratford in 1968 - mesmerising!

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    3. I'm glad I'm not alone in radio listening, Perpetua. I still don't know if it's actually bad for those of us that do it but at least I'm in good company.

      I should think seeing Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in anything would be pretty memorable but in 'Dr. Faustus'...wow! Eric Porter I remember from having to watch 'The Forsythe Saga' with my parents - I wasn't impressed but then neither was his character, was it? Lear is a bit different.

      Axxx

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