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Post by theatremadness on Mar 23, 2017 15:23:39 GMT
Not sure if this was picked up by anyone last Thursday by Baz, but there is apparently a tribute/memorial to Sir Peter Shaffer at the National Theatre, Thursday 30th March (a week from today). His tweets are below, where he says limited tickets are available by emailing name & address (and whether you require 1 or 2 tickets) and they will get back to you. Well, I tried, and succeeded in getting tickets as they arrived in the post this morning. I refrained from posting sooner as I wanted to make sure it was all kosher! It's at 2pm in the Olivier, with tickets located in the circle, unreserved. No cost, either. Baz claims Maggie Smith, Ian McKellen, Lucian Msamti, F. Murray Abraham, Simon Callow & Derek Jacobi will be among those appearing "in tribute" to Sir Peter Shaffer. I've absolutely no idea whether it is literally a memorial, where those mentioned above and others will speak about him and his work and their relationship with him, or whether it is more of a gala where short scenes/excerpts may be performed, or something else completely. Either way, sounds like it'll be a lovely afternoon with many acting greats in attendance, so thought it may be of interest to other members!
No idea whether any tickets are left, but the Olivier circle is quite large and the knowledge of the event seems quite small, so chances may be good. Just email ticketssirpetershaffermemorial@gmail.com with name, address & 1 or 2 tickets!
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Post by Elisa on Mar 23, 2017 16:57:31 GMT
I was surprised at how this event seems to be half-secret (although it was announced on the Times obituary section last January). If tickets are free, that may be a reason.
I first learned about it a few weeks ago on the Daily Mail. It already mentioned Derek Jacobi and other two people, including Jessie Buckley (not named in the tweet) and also that Gregory Doran will direct.
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Post by kathryn on Mar 23, 2017 18:31:13 GMT
Just sent an email - it's worth a punt.
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Post by couldileaveyou on Mar 24, 2017 0:51:16 GMT
I just received my ticket! It's an odd time for a gala, but on the other hand putting on a memorial 9 months after someone's death is...odd. I really do hope they'll stage some excerpts (I mean, they're gonna have three Salieris on stage!) and I would kill for Dame Maggie to revisit this glorious scene:
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Post by couldileaveyou on Mar 24, 2017 0:59:04 GMT
According to the Sincura Group newsletter: "Simon Callow, Sir Derek Jacobi, Jessie Buckley, Lucian Msamati, takes part and are expected to perform at even to celebrate the life of the late playwright". I want Maggie Smith and Ian McKellen! |
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Post by couldileaveyou on Mar 24, 2017 7:25:12 GMT
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Post by theatremadness on Mar 24, 2017 11:34:29 GMT
Ah, sounds like the overlapping actors will be at the New York memorial in video form. Is it supposed to be the same thing at the National's memorial? As mentioned by another poster above, why has this been kept almost secret?! Anyhoo, I do hope Maggie Smith does make an appearance. Though Alec Baldwin would be cool. As Trump. |
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Post by theatremadness on Mar 24, 2017 17:53:32 GMT
So a bit of info by way of an article in The Stage. Says Maggie Smith, Tom Stoppard and Daniel Radcliffe will also be there. Simon Callow hosts - though it doesn't particularly explain what the event really is! Still quite exciting.
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Post by Jan on Mar 24, 2017 18:44:53 GMT
Pity he wasn't a bit more celebrated during the last decades of his life.
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Post by Jan on Mar 25, 2017 11:21:46 GMT
Pity he wasn't a bit more celebrated during the last decades of his life. Just incidentally, why is Doran involved in this at all ? Has he ever directed or even programmed a Peter Shaffer play ? The RSC did programme a couple of his plays years ago (Gift of the Gorgon was the last one I remember) but that was nothing to do with Doran. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2017 11:29:11 GMT
Just incidentally, why is Doran involved in this at all ? Has he ever directed or even programmed a Peter Shaffer play ? Gregory Doran directed Black Comedy in 1998 for the Donmar Warehouse at the Comedy Theatre. |
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Post by Jan on Mar 25, 2017 13:39:32 GMT
Just incidentally, why is Doran involved in this at all ? Has he ever directed or even programmed a Peter Shaffer play ? Gregory Doran directed Black Comedy in 1998 for the Donmar Warehouse at the Comedy Theatre. If he's so keen to celebrate him now it's surprising he didn't bother to stage any of his works in the last 20 years then. |
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Post by couldileaveyou on Mar 25, 2017 18:01:23 GMT
Well, we all like people better after they die, don't we.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2017 18:20:23 GMT
Pity he wasn't a bit more celebrated during the last decades of his life. Major revivals of a number of his plays suggests that he was celebrated. His problem, unlike some other older dramatists such as Bennett, is that he couldn't finish anything new, abandoning partial unrealised drafts. |
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Post by Jan on Mar 26, 2017 11:04:06 GMT
Pity he wasn't a bit more celebrated during the last decades of his life. Major revivals of a number of his plays suggests that he was celebrated. His problem, unlike some other older dramatists such as Bennett, is that he couldn't finish anything new, abandoning partial unrealised drafts. One problem is critics and academics tended to look down their noses at him - the sheer popularity of his plays counted against him and his reputation as a "serious" dramatist - you could see that again in a few of the re ent reviews of Amadeus. |
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Post by martin1965 on Mar 26, 2017 11:16:38 GMT
Yonadab his follow up to Amadeus was a famous flop at the NT, he never really recovered. Lettice and Lovage was ok but the Menier production will be its first revival.
He certainly isnt in the first rank of post war british writers.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2017 11:48:04 GMT
Well Bennett's popularity has been no problem. I think an issue is a lack of a defining style. Shaffer's plays appear to inhabit many different worlds so that to programme a Shaffer play doesn't reach a constituency of someone like a Frayn or Gray.
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Post by Jan on Mar 26, 2017 13:25:37 GMT
Yonadab his follow up to Amadeus was a famous flop at the NT, he never really recovered. Lettice and Lovage was ok but the Menier production will be its first revival. He certainly isnt in the first rank of post war british writers. Yoadab was awful. However it is wrong to somehow hold an artist's best work against them (*) - Equus and Amadeus were massive international hits as plays and then films - no other contemporary British playwright could match that. But that very success caused some to sneer he was middle-brow and so dismiss him. You are doing the same saying he wasn't "first rank" when his success clearly suggests he was. (*) Famously an interviewer once said to Joseph Heller "You haven't written anything as good as Catch-22 since then have you" and he replied "Who has ?" |
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Post by martin1965 on Mar 26, 2017 13:35:49 GMT
Not at all, yes those two were hits at the time but Equus especially hasnt entered the repertoire despite being 45 years old.
You obvs like him, fair enough but as usual we disagree!
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Post by Jan on Mar 26, 2017 13:47:26 GMT
Not at all, yes those two were hits at the time but Equus especially hasnt entered the repertoire despite being 45 years old. You obvs like him, fair enough but as usual we disagree! Well it's played both the West End and Broadway in the last 10 years so I'm not sure what you're on about. It's not so much that I like him but rather I dislike the playwrights who get elevated above him by some critics - the unsuccessful Simon Gray and the tedious old bore Edward Bond for example. |
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Post by martin1965 on Mar 26, 2017 14:01:50 GMT
Not at all, yes those two were hits at the time but Equus especially hasnt entered the repertoire despite being 45 years old. You obvs like him, fair enough but as usual we disagree! Well it's played both the West End and Broadway in the last 10 years so I'm not sure what you're on about. It's not so much that I like him but rather I dislike the playwrights who get elevated above him by some critics - the unsuccessful Simon Gray and the tedious old bore Edward Bond for example. Def agree with you there with those two, also how the flip did Wesker get a knighthood? Come on Jan dont be disingenuous, one revival on the back of celeb casting doesnt cut it im afraid and you know it. |
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Post by kathryn on Mar 26, 2017 15:57:32 GMT
My tickets for this turned up today. I'll probably have a spare if anyone fancies it - my friend can't get the afternoon off work.
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Post by joem on Mar 26, 2017 22:51:59 GMT
Not at all, yes those two were hits at the time but Equus especially hasnt entered the repertoire despite being 45 years old. You obvs like him, fair enough but as usual we disagree! Well it's played both the West End and Broadway in the last 10 years so I'm not sure what you're on about. It's not so much that I like him but rather I dislike the playwrights who get elevated above him by some critics - the unsuccessful Simon Gray and the tedious old bore Edward Bond for example. Any post which correctly describes Bond as a "tedious old bore" deserves to be quoted so that it's seen again. Although I debated whether you shouldn't have added "sanctimonious" as well. |
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Post by daniel on Mar 27, 2017 2:53:18 GMT
I have two tickets up for grabs as I can sadly no longer attend. Drop me a PM if interested.
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Post by Jan on Mar 27, 2017 6:39:22 GMT
Well it's played both the West End and Broadway in the last 10 years so I'm not sure what you're on about. It's not so much that I like him but rather I dislike the playwrights who get elevated above him by some critics - the unsuccessful Simon Gray and the tedious old bore Edward Bond for example. Def agree with you there with those two, also how the flip did Wesker get a knighthood? Come on Jan dont be disingenuous, one revival on the back of celeb casting doesnt cut it im afraid and you know it. It was also revived in 2015 at the powerhouse that is Judi Dench Playhouse in Ealing. There were separate revivals in USA in 2009 and 2014 and 2015. There was even a UK amateur production in 2015. The majority of new plays are NEVER revived but without even trying I found six productions over 10 years one of which played Broadway/West End - to say this one hasn't entered the repertoire is bizarre - on that basis none of Stoppard's plays have entered the repertoire either. |
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