The Archive
Recordings from December 2003
Total Number of Recordings from this month: 15
- THEATRE MUSEUM Geoffrey Marsh, head of the Theatre Museum, Covent Garden, talks to Dominic Cavendish about the museum's collections and the latest redevelopment plans.
- 1 recommendation
“We've got a great location, great collections and great staff but we could achieve far more.”
- Recording Date: 01-Dec-2003
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- MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA Eugene O'Neill's epic is revived at the National. Dominic Cavendish asks David Benedict, Rhoda Koenig and Mark Shenton the simple question: why the fuss?
“It's overwrought and overwritten, but it's staged with such conviction that it makes for a powerful evening.”
- Play: Mourning Becomes Electra
- Theatre: National Theatre, Lyttelton
- Recording Date: 05-Dec-2003
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- SKELLIG David Almond's award-winning children's book hits the Young Vic stage. Heather Neill, Patrick Marmion and Mark Shenton cheer. David Benedict, however, boos.
“I was keeping one eye on the children - for good reasons - and they looked riveted throughout the evening.”
- Play: Skellig
- Theatre: Young Vic
- Recording Date: 05-Dec-2003
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- MESSIAH Judgement day for Steven Berkoff's account of Christ's crucifixion; Rachel Halliburton and Mark Shenton disagree. Patrick Marmion mops their fevered brows.
“It just made me want to gouge my eyes out. I really thought it was excruciatingly self-indulgent.”
- Play: Messiah - Scenes From a Crucifixion
- Theatre: Old Vic
- Recording Date: 05-Dec-2003
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- INTERVIEW: MICHAEL GRANDAGE The director talks to David Benedict about his first year at the helm of the Donmar Warehouse and discusses his plans for the future.
“I'm really very keen that we get our work out to be seen by as many people as possible.”
- Play: After Miss Julie
- Theatre: Donmar Warehouse
- Recording Date: 10-Dec-2003
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- INTERVIEW: TOM MORRIS The innovative director has turned the Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) into a theatrical powerhouse. As he steps down as artistic director, he looks back on eight dynamic years with Dominic Cavendish.
“At the same time as being the most exciting job in theatre, it's also very exhausting.”
- Recording Date: 12-Dec-2003
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- INTERVIEW: DAVID KRAMER The co-creator and director of the hit musical about 1950s Apartheid, Kat and the Kings, talks about the show to Rachel Halliburton.
“Now the musical is so much more gritty than it was when it first came over.”
- Play: Kat and the Kings
- Theatre: Tricycle Theatre
- Recording Date: 12-Dec-2003
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- DINNER Moira Buffini's satirical slice of monied life gets well chewed over by John Nathan and Aleks Sierz. Patrick Marmion hosts.
“The idea that it should be a state-of-the-nation play is totally beside the point.”
- Play: Dinner
- Theatre: Wyndhams Theatre
- Recording Date: 12-Dec-2003
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- REGIONAL THEATRE: BIRMINGHAM Jonathan Church, artistic director of the revitalised Birmingham Rep, outlines the theatre's strategy for success to Dominic Cavendish.
“For the first time we're going 'What can we do that is more?' and that's visible up and down the country.”
- Recording Date: 14-Dec-2003
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- REGIONAL THEATRE: LEEDS Ian Brown, artistic director of the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, assesses the highs and lows of 2003 with Dominic Cavendish.
“Some things have gone fantastically well, and some things have been positively precipitous.”
- Recording Date: 18-Dec-2003
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- REGIONAL THEATRE: SHEFFIELD While theatres outside London look back on 2003 and towards 2004, Michael Grandage talks to David Benedict about his artistic directorship of the Sheffield Crucible.
“London has started to look out to the regions for inspiration and occasionally for leadership.”
- Recording Date: 19-Dec-2003
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- FIVE GOLD RINGS Joanna Laurens's new verse drama at the Almeida Theatre lacks lustre for Kate Bassett, James Inverne and Charles Spencer. David Benedict hosts.
“I think that you're all taking this play far too seriously; I think that she's just really piss-poor.”
- Play: Five Gold Rings
- Theatre: Almeida Theatre
- Recording Date: 19-Dec-2003
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- REGIONAL THEATRE: BRISTOL David Farr and Simon Reade, new joint artistic directors of the Bristol Old Vic, look back on an acclaimed first year with Dominic Cavendish.
“We can redefine the whole idea of theatres outside London - as national state theatres.”
- Recording Date: 19-Dec-2003
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- REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2003 (1/2) David Benedict, Kate Bassett, James Inverne, Patrick Marmion and Charles Spencer relive the biggest thrills of the theatregoing year.
- 1 recommendation
“If anyone's going to win awards, it certainly should be Nicholas Hytner over at the National.”
- Recording Date: 20-Dec-2003
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- NEW YORK SPECIAL Actor, playwright and screenwriter Stephen Adly Guirgis talks to the British Theatre Guide's Philip Fisher in a Hell's Kitchen diner.
“I acted in plays all through my twenties. If I go too long without acting I tend to get really unhappy.”
- Recording Date: 29-Dec-2003
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