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, 1959First 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