Category: Theatre

Assassins

LAMDA’s new theatre is almost finished. The first production is a musical, Assassins by Sondheim.  The eponymous assassins are the men and women who have attempted, successfully or not, to assassinate Presidents of the United States and the music is a reflection of popular music in their times.

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Travesties

Do not fancy that an intermission of writing is a decay of kindness. No man is always in a disposition to write; nor has any man at all times something to say. (Johnson: Letter to Boswell)

Hugging

On a Friday in November 1957, Rupert Hart-Davis was invited to lunch by Cecil Beaton at his house in Pelham Place. There was a butler and the other guests were Nancy Cunard, Mrs Ian Fleming and Somerset Maugham.

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Moor about LAMDA

The new theatre and rehearsal rooms at LAMDA are still a work in progress. For big productions they hire theatres around London and for smaller shows use their existing studio theatre that seats about seventy-five.

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The Abbey Theatre

The Act of Union in 1800, whereby the Irish Parliament in Dublin was dissolved and Ireland became part of the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ireland), ruled from London naturally diminished Dublin as a city. Politicians went to live in London and property prices fell.

Peaky Bloomers

Peaky Blinders is a BBC crime drama series set in Birmingham immediately after World War I. It must be good – it’s on its third series. I’ve not seen it (maybe a good box set for the winter) but Dr Henry Sanford has.

Restoration Romp

Number 79 Pall Mall is the only one on the south side of the street that does not belong to the Crown Estate. The freehold was given to Nell Gwynn in 1676 and, in her opinion, not before time; ‘Madam Gwinn complains she has no house yett’, reported Sir Joseph Williamson in 1673.