Wednesday 10 June 2009

Harold Pinter A Celebration...(Review)


Images from the programme


On Sunday 7 June 2009 at the National Theatre, I attended the memorial event for the legendary playwright, Harold Pinter who sadly passed away on Christmas Eve 2008. The stage was set as black with two rows of silver chairs which ran along two sides of a black square performance area. All the actors who took part in the show were seated on the chairs throughout, and took turns to deliver their pieces. Samuel West was on in the the second half. It was lovely to see him again, although from where us mere mortals were seated it would of taken the use of binoculars to see any of the actors faces properly! There was sadness as well as a lot of comedy and my favourite being "Mac" The evening finished after 2.5hrs with a big b&w picture of Harold Pinter appearing on the back of the stage area and the actors slowly leaving. Walking away with their heads bowed. That was very moving.

The evenings performances were...

Death, 1997.....Stephen Rea

Voices in the Tunnel.....Henry Woolf

From Celebration, 1999
Waiter.....................Jude Law
Lambert.................Henry Goodman
Julie........................Susan Wooldridge
Matt.......................Andy De La Tour
Prue........................Lindsay Duncan

Poems to A, Part 1
Paris, 1975.............Colin Firth
I Know the Place...Penelope Wilton
To Antonia, 1987...Kenneth Cranham

Apart from That, 2006
Gene........................Jeremy Irons
Lake.........................Indira Varma

From the Caretaker, 1959....David Bradley

The Black and White, 1959
First Old Woman....Eileen Atkins
Second Old Woman..Sheila Hancock

From Mac, 1966.....Douglas Hodge

From Old Times, 1970
Deeley......................Alan Rickman
Anna.........................Lindsay Duncan
Kate..........................Gina McKee

From The Homecoming, 1964.....Kenneth Cranham

From The Lover, 1962
Richard......................Jude Law
Sarah..........................Indira Varma

Arthur Wellard, 1981........Samuel West

Tess, 2000.........................Penelope Wilton

From The Birthday Party, 1957
Stanley.......................Kenneth Cranham
Goldberg....................Henry Goodman
McCann......................Lloyd Hutchinson

From Mac, 1966.................Douglas Hodge

From The Homecoming, 1964.....Lia Williams

From No Mans Land, 1974..........Andy De La Tour

Political Poems
The Bombs, 2003...........................................Roger Lloyd Pack
The Disappeared, 1998..................................Janie Dee
I shall Tear Off My Terrible Cap, 1951.......Harry Burton
Cricket at Night, 1995....................................Jeremy Irons
After Lunch, 2002..........................................Lindsay Duncan

Weather Forecast, 2003................................David Bradley

Meeting, 2002.................................................Gina McKee
From Betrayal, 1978
Emma...............................Janie Dee
Robert..............................Michael Sheen

From The Caretaker, 1959....Colin Firth

Poems to A, Part 2
It is here, 1990..................Jude Law
To My Wife, 2004.............Lia Williams
Poem (To A), 2007...........Jeremy Irons

From his Nobel Prize address, 2005...........Students From LAMDA

From Celebration..............Stephen Rea

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