The Hollow Crown
Thu, 2 May 2002, 08:24 amLeah Maher1 post in thread
The Hollow Crown
Thu, 2 May 2002, 08:24 am"The Hollow Crown"
Perth Concert Hall
Wednesday 1st May
Last night I saw four of the greatest gifts the god of theatre ever gave to the stage performing for the Royal Shakespeare Company in "The Hollow Crown". Derek Jacobi, Donald Sindon, Ian Richardson and Diana Rigg.
I feel almost sacreligious submitting these amazing people to anything so grubby as a "review" and I really don't believe I am in any position to judge them. So I'm going to just waffle sycophanticly for a while. Yes, the tickets are expensive, yes, there's no fancy set or big costumes (there are songs though!) but this was the best night of theatre I have seen for a very very long time, and probably then only time in my life I will get to clap eyes on such a distinguished cast in the flesh.
The play is really lovely, predominantly funny, but sad and moving by turns. Carefully crafted, beautifully written (where it was written), with the historic texts selected with care. But it's the performers that carry it. There is just something about the effortless grace and palatable presence that fifty odd years in the theatre gives you. The performers played the audience like a slide trombone, without resorting to "ham" (although a bit of it peeked through now and then, particlularly in Mr Sindon's Henry VIII, much to what seemed like the genuine delight of the other players).
Listening to the audience (the rather elderly audience, it must be said) on the way out, the main word being used was "wonderful". And, despite the proliferation of adjectives above, I think that's the most fitting. Just wonderful.
Perth Concert Hall
Wednesday 1st May
Last night I saw four of the greatest gifts the god of theatre ever gave to the stage performing for the Royal Shakespeare Company in "The Hollow Crown". Derek Jacobi, Donald Sindon, Ian Richardson and Diana Rigg.
I feel almost sacreligious submitting these amazing people to anything so grubby as a "review" and I really don't believe I am in any position to judge them. So I'm going to just waffle sycophanticly for a while. Yes, the tickets are expensive, yes, there's no fancy set or big costumes (there are songs though!) but this was the best night of theatre I have seen for a very very long time, and probably then only time in my life I will get to clap eyes on such a distinguished cast in the flesh.
The play is really lovely, predominantly funny, but sad and moving by turns. Carefully crafted, beautifully written (where it was written), with the historic texts selected with care. But it's the performers that carry it. There is just something about the effortless grace and palatable presence that fifty odd years in the theatre gives you. The performers played the audience like a slide trombone, without resorting to "ham" (although a bit of it peeked through now and then, particlularly in Mr Sindon's Henry VIII, much to what seemed like the genuine delight of the other players).
Listening to the audience (the rather elderly audience, it must be said) on the way out, the main word being used was "wonderful". And, despite the proliferation of adjectives above, I think that's the most fitting. Just wonderful.