Comments for RSC Friends

Comment on David Hutchings Memorial Steps Appeal by Anna

Anna — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:11:10 +0000

Must say I think this plan is a real shame. The riverside by the church is a lovely peaceful place with benches where you can sit and while away the time – my favourite spot in Stratford. Now they want to snatch 15metres of it for river traffic. People who want to visit the church by boat can surely walk a few minutes from existing moorings. Rebuilding wrecked the Bancroft Gardens and now it seems the same is happening here. Terrible pity.

Comment on History Boys Update by Linda

Linda — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:47:58 +0000

Has it been confirmed if Clive Wood will be in Childrens Children at the Almeida?

Comment on A quick update…. by Claire C-S

Claire C-S — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:04:27 +0000

Nick Asbury is doing a fortnightly blog on the Guardian Website about the Propeller tour of ‘Henry’ V & ‘Winter’s Tale’: his first entry was earlier this week at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/dec/20/on-tour-propeller-nick-asbury?newsfeed=true. Hope it gets published eventually as a book like ‘Exit..pursued like a badger’.
Nick is also working on a new book “White Hart, Red Lion” which is due during 2012 Details about it are on Amazon.

Comment on FIFTY YEARS ON (8)‏ by David Stevens

David Stevens — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:03:50 +0000

Excellent as always Tony. We really enjoyed this brilliant play, so well directed and outstanding performances from all 6 actors. The script in hand readings were also a joy. So pleased to have met Lady Antonia Fraser after the Saturday Event. The discussion between her and David Farr was superb. I recommend to everyone to buy her book “Must You Go”

Comment on Last Saturday…. by Doug Lucie

Doug Lucie — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 19:24:42 +0000

David,

Many thanks for your kind words regarding ‘Fashion’ – the audience response on the night was wonderful and fully justified Mark’s belief in the play. To discover that it hadn’t just not ‘dated’, but had added layers of resonance since 1987 was inspiring for me. I’ve always regarded my plays as ‘contemporary histories’ that will play well in any age, and just a few weeks after the ‘Fashion’ reading, my 1992 play ‘Grace’ was given a reading at ACT Theatre in Seattle, where it received a spontaneous standing ovation, proving my point, I hope.

You might like to know that the follow-up to my Royal Court play The Shallow End (1997, a critique of News International’s business practices) has been commissioned (not by the RSC, sadly). The Deep End, which will explore the murky goings-on at NI over the years, should be at a theatre near you next year! Interestingly, The Shallow End was condemned across much of the media when it premiered for being hysterically negative and just plain inaccurate – how could any successful business be so dysfunctional and borderline criminal? they asked – yet in re-reading it in preparation for a Fringe production in London early next year, and in light of recent revelations, it’s clear that it was, as I knew, spot-on, and that my depiction of the company’s philosophy and business practice didn’t go far enough. Perhaps this time I’ll receive a fairer hearing from the critics and commentators….

It’s easy, when you’ve been writing plays professionally for over thirty years without ever really being recognised, to lose faith in what you’re doing – but events like the RSC reading remind me why I started writing in the first place: to tell people about things I consider important in as entertaining, involving, challenging and rewarding a way as I know how. So my thanks go to Mark and the cast, who did a momentous job with hardly any rehearsal, and most of all to the audience, for reassuring me that I haven’t been completely wasting my time all these years!

Doug Lucie

Comment on Last Saturday…. by Frank Corrrado

Frank Corrrado — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 06:15:51 +0000

Doug Lucie’s FASHION a ‘satire’? It’s much nearer to being a documentary. But why quibble one way or another? It is an extraordinary play by a remarkable and invaluable playwright whose works ought to be in frequent production. Don’t just give it a reading RSC, give it what it deserves: another full staging in your season. Also consider Lucie’s THE SHALLOW END, an altogether prophetic piece of work.

Comment on MUSE OF FIRE by Violet

Violet — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:06:06 +0000

You mentioned Penny Downie, who I always remember was a superb Queen Margaret in a RSC production of Richard 111. It was part of a Histories trilogy in which Anton Lesser played Richard, and was excellent throughtout.
I have seen many of the “Histories” productions and the RSC is especially good at producing the Bard’s plays regarding English history and seem to present them with new aspects on each occasion. One often gets a glimse of new and talented actors in such productions. I saw Kenneth Branagh as Henry V and recently Jonathan Slinger as Richard 111.

Comment on FIFTY YEARS ON (7)‏ by David Stevens

David Stevens — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 07:24:42 +0000

As always great to read your blogs. Really enjoyed The Homecoming and waiting to see it again next week with Ingrid. it will be interesting to see how she likes it as Pinter. will be new for her.
Thank you again Tony.

Comment on Cloak and Dagger‏ by David Stevens

David Stevens — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:02:07 +0000

Very pleased tro hear about this news. i very much enjoyed his performance as Hal.

Comment on FIFTY YEARS ON (6)‏ by GMC

GMC — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 09:42:17 +0000

I so agree with you, David, about the need to remedy the absence of young(er) people at Friends events. After all, they are the future!

If I can remember so far back to my youth, I’m sure that I would have loved to attend some of the talks/Q&As/events now available to Friends.

I think a Young Friends and/or Family membership scheme, is an idea that should be explored. What a great Birthday or Christmas present for a teen!