No. 469 - December 2009 Emeritus Life President: President: Vice President: Price 50p when sold Dr Wendy Toye CBE Simon Russell Beale CBE Nickolas Grace

New Talent rewarded at the Old Vic

Lilian Baylis Theatrical Excellence Awards The talented E winnerslla Hickman of the This is Not Thereceived End. their certificates and cheques at a recent ceremony at the Old Vic. won an award for writing the play This Is Not The End Natalie Ibu James Baldwin also produced the winning director, and the winning male actor, . Natalie said that she was thrilled to receive the Lilian Baylis award and will be using the money to see plays on her upcoming visit to New York (to study James Baldwin Musical Theatre). is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy and has been working in London for the last eight months. As well as acting, James is developing his writing and recently premiered a new piece at the A happy James Baldwin, National Theatre Studio. He best male actor Rebecca Whitehead, best female actor, intends to use his award sharing a joke with James Ranger money to pay for an actor or Rebecca Whitehead two to perform his writing. won for her acting in 'Mothers' Ruin'. Rebecca is at the start of her career in London, following stints at the Yorkshire Playhouse and the National Youth Theatre. Surprised and delighted to win, she will be spending her cheque on play Morwenna Johnson 24 tickets. Hour Plays. was a producer of the Previously an intern at the Old Vic, she has now started an internship at the Royal Court. This was a happy occasion with champagne, cake and nibbles provided by the Old Vic. It was a pleasure to meet such intelligent and passionate young people. They were all delighted and honoured to receive their awards and fascinated by the history of the Vic-Wells Association. They have promised to keep us informed of their progress in the Antony Page presenting the future. I am sure that all members of the award to Report by Kirsten Sheridan Morwenna Johnson, association will join me in wishing them well. best producer Natalie Ibu, best director All photographs by Nick Panagakis A history of Twelfth Night and the Vic-Wells

Twelfth Night

The first production of at the Old Vic that I located was 11 May 1914 when William Poel played Malvolio in a production staged by Shakespeare Stewart. Poel had staged the play many times himself and he favoured the so-called Elizabethan staging. Simon Russell Beale as Malvolio Poel’s Elizabethanism would have been entirely (Donmar Warehouse 2002) at home at the Vic as one feature of Twelfth Night Elizabethanism was the bare boards aesthetic; and because Lilian Baylis would never allow directed a which opened the Twelfthmuch moneyNight for set and costume the Vic stage newly renovated Sadler’s Wells on Twelfth was often ‘bare boards’. Night itself, 6 January. The cast included John was performed fairly frequently Gielgudas Malvolio and Dorothy Green as Viola; at the Vic during the First World War, directed however, this was also the first ‘Cavaliers and first by Andrew Leigh and then by Philip Ben Roundheads’ production I found of the play, a Greet: Violas included Sybil Thorndike and concept that placed Malvolio as a puritan who Viola Tree. George Foss did a production in would vote with the regicides in the English 1918, just before the warTwelfthended, butNight through Civil War. Williams revived his production the much of the 1920s it was Robert Atkins who following year with Edith Evans as Viola and dominated the history of at the Robert Speaight as Malvolio. The Sir Toby in Vic,Twelfthin a Nightwhole series of productions usually both of these productionsTwelfth Night was Ralph featuring himself as Toby. Atkins returned to Richardson. The Vic-Wells audiences were able over and over during his long to see quite a few s around this career and was still directing it, and playing time and in 1933 there was another production, Toby, in the 1950s. this time directed by Tyrone Guthrie. This, Guthrie’s very first production at the Vic-Wells, In 1931 Sadler’s Wells saw a really pioneering was controversial not least because it featured production of the play when Harcourt Williams the Olivia of Lydia Lopokova who was far too lively for most reviewers (they preferred Olivia to be a sober, respectable matron). Guthrie directed the play again, for the Vic-Wells in 1937, in a production that featured Laurence Olivier as Toby. HoweverTwelfth inNight 1937 our Emeritus Life President, Wendy Toye,Cross then Gartered aged 19, choreographed a Twelfthballet.Night Wendy Toye’s ballet was entitled and was based on the action of 3.4. WendyTwelfth ToyeNight herself danced Olivia, while Walter Gore danced the role of Malvolio. When a ballet of was televised that year one of the dancers was Leo Kersey. The 1950s and early 1960s saw Celia Johnson, Peggy Ashcroft, Claire Bloom and Barbara Jefford as Old Vic Violas with Ernest Milton, Michael Hordern and Alec McCowen among the Malvolios, and a soubrette Maria from Judi Dench. Vivien Leigh played Viola in Robert Helpmann’s production that toured Australia Malvolio costume design by Owen Smythe but did not appear in London. More recently for Harcourt Williams’ 1931 Twelfth Night our newTwelfthPresident,Night Simon Russell Beale was a (Bristol Theatre Collection) notable and moving Malvolio in Sam Mendes’ Elizabeth Schafer 2002 at the Donmar Warehouse. 2 NEWS from Sadler’s Wells Bharathanatyam Svapnagata performer in the South Indian dance form Festival of Indian Dance and Music Yuko .InoueAdditionalAk eventsash Odedra in the Lilian Baylis StudioKathakinclude performances by rising stars KumudiniandLakhia Gregory, 16Svapnagata – 28 November 2009 twoMaqoma young Shanell Winlock dancers performing choreographySouthern byComfort . Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui Shantala means ‘dreaming’ in Sanskrit. It is and reprise their Shivalingappa’s theSadler’sinspiration Wells and starting point for a two- duet in a double bill with week festival of Indian music and dance at and Riz MC this November. The festival is new piece. The Lilian Baylis Maya Jaggi curated by two exceptional artists Akramwith a Studio concludes with an evening by rap artist sharedKhan British-Asian Nbackgrounditin Sawhneyand creative , and an afternoon Panel Debate chaired vision: Dancer and choreographer by . and composer are long- The Svapnagata India Festival culminates in a time collaboratorsbahok whose previous productions new collaborative production by Akram Khan forzero degreesSadler’s Wells include the critically “A celebration of NitinacclaimedSawhney andAkram the universallyKhan celebrated Indian dance . in all its classical splendour and have invited artists whom they admire and who have and contemporary influenced them. All are classical artists at the highest level whose work shows a sensibility relevance.” for the tensions between classical training and the quest for a new, contemporary language. They all come from different places, yet have a common denominator in that they all work from a base within the Indian art forms,Tando bringare ablethese toartiststranscendunder oneboundaries umbrellaof givestradition, me a genrsensee,of or ‘intoxication’, culture. Akram and Khan it is this says:intoxication “ that sometimes leads to dreams. And to me, dreams are a place that always carries the memories of the past and the discoveries of the new Shantala Shivalingappa .” will present a classical KuchipudiSidieveningLarbi Cherkaouion the main stage, and a contemporary duet with the choreographer Trilokin the LiliGurtuan Baylis Studio. The renowned Indian composer and virtuoso percussionist will perform pieces by Bach and Bartok together withNaeelamgroupMansinghof WesteChowdhryrn classical musicians who in turn will Nagamandalaplay his own compositions. ’s beautiful production ofthe play combines physical theatre with music and the ancient art of storytelling. TwoU. Shrinivasmusicians who both take their classical training to new levels each present a soloAnoushkaevening: Shankar plays Priyadarsini Govind South Indian Carnatic music on an electric Mandolin, and fuses Confluence classical Sitar ragas with Western music. A pure Sawhney’s Khan’s dance evening will juxtapose the two great and Nitin Sawhney. fuses Indian classicaKathakl dance formsAditi of theMangaldas North and music with unique blend of the South,Priyadarshini featuring solo Govind performances by classical kathak and contemporarycontinued ontechnique. back page It acclaimed dancer takes the form of a conversation between two and by , a celebrated 3 “In the Spirit of Diaghilev”

Many dance companies are mounting programmes this year to celebrate the centenary of Sergei Diaghilev’s creation of ‘Les Ballets Russes’ in 1909, but the majority of offerings are of revivals or new productions of works created for ‘Les Ballets Russes’. Conspicuously missing has been the creation of new works, for which Diaghilev’s company achieved a standard in its twenty year “The final work was not existence which has never been equalled. Diaghilev commissioned new choreography, ‘In the spirit of Diaghilev’; identified and developed new choreographers, persuaded major artists, designers and his artistic sensitivity would composers to contribute, and welded disparate and often fractious elements into a successful have vetoed it” creative enterprise. Eternal Damnation to Sancho and Sanchez Sadler’s Wells has sought to honour the La Valse creative element of Diaghilev by commissioning And so to four new works byestablished choreographers by Javier de Frutos, part of it to Ravel’s - very commendable - but the outcome was less . I wonder what was De Frutos’ satisfactory than the initiative deserved. objective in creating this work? Was it to Dyad 1909, indicate his violent dislike of the Roman First up was Wayne McGregor, of Random Catholic Church, or didSacrehe seekdu Printemps to replicate the Dance and the Royal Ballet, with scandal of Nijinsky’s Faun, or the riots based on Shackleton’s 1909 expedition to the generated by the first ? If so, South Pole. Apart from a snow dusted and fur he had some success on all counts, as testified cladfigure at the start, not much concerning the by people walking out, boos at the end of some expedition was evident, and the relevance of performances, and extended disapproving the picture projections on the ice-like shapes newspaper coverage. Doyen dance critic on stage was unclear. The choreography was in Clement Crisp was outraged, but it must be MacGregor’s usual style, and danced with great admitted that in some modern dance circles, attack by his dancers, but did notAfterLightleave a strong this would be regarded as a plus point. The first impression. sequence (without music) in which a “Pope” Two shorter works followed. by figure indulged in all sorts of violent simulated Russell Maliphant, an extended solo to music by sexual activity with both men and pregnant ErikMonotonesSatie, was the hit of the evening. The Satie women was so unpleasant, tedious and music, some of which was used by Ashton in interminably long that I tried to relieve my , and the lighting effects by Michael boredom by studying the Beardesley-esk backcloth. Dancers displayed placards withLa Hulls combined almost hypnotically with the Valse slow rotations of the dancer in the first names on, but their significance was obscure. sequence. As the piece developed, so the The mayhem continued accompanied by dancer’s space and movements expanded with but interrupted by grunts and screams the lighting. A quite beautiful piece, and and culminated with a woman being strangled. superbly danced by Daniel Proietto. The dancing, such as it was, contained little that Faun, was interesting or original. There was some I had not previously encountered the work of applause, perhaps showing sympathy for the Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, but warmed to his dancers. new take on the Nijinski/Debussy L’apres midi d’un Faun. This featured the tow-haired James Clement, all is forgiven. You were right; it was O’Hara as the Faun, and Daisy Philips as the garbage! This final work was not “in the spirit of single robust nymph, hampered by over- Diaghilev”; his artistic sensitivity would surely have vetoed it. Even so, the theatreAfterLightwas packed complex costumes which really did not work. Faun, The movement was highly athletic, and for the final performances. Were the late represented the Faun very much as a feral bookers there to see the beauty of or creature. There were elements of the primeval, the athleticism of or were they there to which brought echoes of Rite of Spring, but the see what the fuss was about? I fear it was a “un most notable feature was the extraordinary succes de scandale”. NothingRichardsucceeds Reavilllike flexibility of movement and control delivered excess! by O’Hara. 4 NEWS from The Old Vic Thomas Sadoski Michelle Beck RosalindandMiranda; and as Inherit the Wind Touchstone and Stephano; and What an exciting month we’ve had here at The as Celia and Ceres. OldVic. starring Kevin Spacey To keep up-to-date with news and information and David Troughton has proved a huge The 24 Hour Plays Celebrity Gala for all productions at The Old Vic you can join success with audiences and critics alike and www.oldvictheatre.com our e-subscribers list by visiting returned facebook page or become a fan on for its sixth year and once again, it didn’t our new by searching ‘The Old disappoint! A huge thank you to everyone who Rebecca Pepper Vic Theatre’. took part andOldsupportedVic New Voices.this event. The Gala is the principal annual fundraising event in support of This department is dedicated to working with young people, developing emerging talent and building new Theatre Review audiences. The Old Vic receives no government subsidy so this event is vital to enable this Inherit the Wind ongoing work.David Grindley John Guare 2010 sees Six Degrees of Separationdirects ’s adrenalin-fuelled, Olivier Award- Anyone who has read the play will know it winning play - a Obi Abili Brothers Size begins in the town of Hillsboro, with the sharp, vivacious take on two worlds colliding. Angels in America townsfolk discussing the 'crime' of evolution The cast includes ( , The Anthony Head Otherwise Engaged and awaiting the arrival of the prosecution Young Vic and , Headlong Buffy the Vampire Slayer lawyer, Matthew Harrison Brady. When he does Theatre), ( Manchild Merlin Lesley Manville show he is greeted with much ceremony and with Richard E. Grant, , Secrets and Lies Vera Drake All About My made an honorary colonel in the militia. David and ) and Mother Troughton portrays Brady as a charming and ( , and cultured man, who believes utterly in the truth , The Old Vic). Six Degrees of Separation of the Bible, but there is also something of a runs from 7 January – 3 April 2010. bully about him. Kevin Spacey plays Henry FollowingSama criticallyMendesacclaimed inaugural year, theatre and Academy Award-winning film director The Bridge Projectwill again direct a transatlantic company of actors for the second season of , a unique three- year series of co-productions by The Old Vic, BAM and Neal Street Productions devoted to producing large-scale, classical theatre for internationalThe Bridge audiences. Project As You Like It again begins its international journey in New York,The Tempestwith opening at the BAM Harvey Theater in Drummond, the lawyer for the defence. He January 2010, followed by in wears a white wig and shambles on stage, February 2010. It will then embark on an almost bent over, reminiscent of Walter international tour visiting Asia and Europe Matthau. before opening in London at The Old Vic in June 2010. Christian There are sterling performances from Spacey Camargo As You Like It and David Troughton. Their choosing of the jury The British/American cast includes Stephen Dillane is very funny, with both trying to score points as Orlando and Ariel in Ron Cephas Jones off each other. During the actual trial and The Tempest; as Jaques Juliet Rylance Drummond's frustration grows with Brady and and Prospero; as Charles the Judge, who refuses to let Drummond call the Wrestler and Caliban; as 5 any of his witnesses. Drummond then decides to call Brady as a witness and these two box? ‘phone-box?Continuumbroom-cupboard? coffin? ), powerful men go head to head.Kevin Spacey but its significance was opaque. Wheeldon has the best lines in the play and he makes the contributed from 2002 to piano most of them; he is funny, angry and pieces by his favoured composer Gyorgy Ligeti, passionate. At one point he turns to the and demonstrated his ability to match in audience, picking out people to address his movement the wide range and brittle lines to; as the jury members are sitting in the RhapsodyquirkinessFantasieof the music. The last item was the front row, this is very effective. But because of premier of a new work by Wheeldon called his energy and the strength of his voice, he to music from Rachmaninov doesn’t come across as a man meant to be in his piano suites. This music seems to inspire seventies. However, that's a minor quibble and Wheeldon in a ratherdifferent wayto the Ligeti. it shouldn't take away from the power of his Sixwomen wore bright redcocktail dresses and performance.“Does this play were accompanied by six men, bare-chested but with matching but rather strangely flared have relevance for a harem pants. There was a stand-out 21st century audience?” performance by the NYCB principal Wendy Wheeldon. Mark Morris presented two programmes the The set design is excellent and makes full use of following week, each containing four items and the Old Vic stage. Music and snippets of radio no duplication. ThereThreewasPreludes,even an extra item in shows are used to good effect. Towards the end the Friday programme; a solo Vforisitation,Bradon of the interval, as the audience are returning to McDonald titled Empireto Garden,music by their seats, the cast come on stage, which is George Gershwin. Two new works: to now the courtroom and take their places. This a Beethoven cello sonata, and to worked very well; Drummond consults his music by Charles Ives, were from August this papers and his client, who looks suitably year. The latter had highly colourful costumes, terrified, and Brady showboats and flatters the the men in jackets of a rather military style, town's women. someGoingin theAwaypastelPartshadesy favoured by generals in banana republics. TheBedtimecast had a lot of fun A special mention has to go to Mark Dexter, with to songs by Bob Willis who plays the cynical journalist, E.K Hornbeck. and his Texas Playboys. , to Schubert He is terrific. songs was a quiet work much helpedGrandbyDuothe Does this play have relevance for a twenty first accompaniment of the group of young singers. century audience? Yes. Arguments between The programmes ended with either V creationists and evolutionists are still going on, to the Lou Harrison work for violin and piano, with some British schools choosing to include performed with verve by all concerned, or to creationism in their science classes. Is it right? a Schumann piano quintet. These two works Is it wrong? As Henry Drummond says every perhapsGrandexemplifyDuoMorris’s ability to translate man - or woman! - has the rightKirsten to THINK! Sheridan music to movement; the pulsating polka at the th end of such a contrast to the Inherit the Wind is at the Old Vic until December 20 . V mesmerising procession of dancers in the slow More Dance at Sadler’s Wells movement of . The latter was perhaps the most rewarding item of the first programme, primarily because I had a highly elevated seat, and was able to see new aspects of the plan of Hot on the heels of the Diaghilev programme the choreography not so evidentRichard from Reavilla more came two moreMorphoses short seasons of dance. SoftlI sawy horizontal view-point. asonlyI Leatheve secondYou programme of Christopher Do YOU have an opinion on a production Wheeldon’s group. One item, you have seen recently? Please send your by Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon, review to: [email protected] was repeated from the earlier programme. The duet, intensely danced by Rubinald Pronk and Drew Jacoby featured a vertical box (sentry- 6 WHAT’S ON Old Vic Theatre 0870 060 6628

Sadler’s Wells 0870 737 7737 Waterloo Road, LondonInherit SE1 8NB the Wind www.oldvictheatre.com 18 Sept - 20 Dec Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN www.sadlerswells.comApollo 16 - 28 Nov Svapnagata - Indian Music & Dance 1 - 5 Dec Carlos Acosta: & other works

Inherit the Wind The Old Vic

Six Degrees of Separation

7 JanTo -book 3 Apr tickets 2010 for all productions at The Old Vic: 0844 871 7642 photo: Johan Persson REHEARSALS at SADLER’S WELLS Swan Lake 10 Dec 2009 - the Spirit of 24 Jan 2010 Matthew Bourne’s DiaghilevWe have enjoyed a good run of rehearsals including Scottish Ballet and In Swan Lake but weFlamencoare now running into a quiet period with Matthew Bourne's followed by the season so it may be in March next year that further rehearsal opportunities will arrive. Richard Reavill will let the email list know if there is a rehearsal opportunityTWELFTH before then. NIGHT PARTY Twelfth Night Party Friday 8th January 2010 Our annual will take place photo: Bill Cooper on in the second circle bar area at the Old Vic from 3pm to 5pm. Peacock Theatre 0870 737 0337 Monica Mason has kindly agreed to cut the cake at this historic ceremony. Not to be missed! The Snowman Portugal Street, Kingsway, London WC2A 2HT Tickets are £6 for Members and £7.50 for Non- 2 Dec - 10 Jan 2010 members. Please write for tickets, enclosing a stamped, self-addressed envelope, to Ruth Jeayes, 185 Honor Oak Road, London SE23 3RP, orIMPORTANT: call 0208 699 2376. NOTE CHANGED DATE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Please note that the date of our AGM has changedth and will now take place on Monday 30 November at 7pm in the Kahn Theatre at Sadler’s Wells. Gillian Lyne CBE has agreed to talk at the AGM. We hope to see as many photo: Alistair Muir members thereIllustrations as possible. from the Sadler’s Wells website are used with permission 7 Svapnagata: Festival of Indian Dance and Music Sadler’s Wells : 16th - 28th November 2009

continued from page 3 friends and artistic collaborators, looking back on personal experiences, respective influences and a productive creative partnership. Exploring how the independent stories of these two kindred spirits converged, Confluence offers the opportunity to not only re-visit their collaborative work together (Kaash, zero degrees and bahok) but also to understand the psychological, emotional and spiritual processes involved in their work. Confluence will also include a new piece of choreography by Akram Khan to a specially created composition by Nitin Sawhney. Svapnagata offers a dazzling arrayof performances and events, celebrating Indian dance and music in all its

splendourSadler’sand contemporary Wells relevance. For further information and inspiration please visit t h e Sadler’s websiteWells Player on www.sadlerswells.com/show/Svapnagata. The recently launched features film clips of interviews with AkramGnosis Khan Confluenceand Nitin Sawhney in which they talk about how they approach new creations like and Shantala Shivalingappa . Lisa Bowler photo: Rodrigo Cesar

The Vic-Wells Association Founded in 1923 by LILIAN BAYLIS CH. Incorporating The Old Vic Association, The Old Vic Circle, The Old Vic Club, Sadler’s Wells Society, Sadler’s Wells Circle

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Hon. Secretary: Hon. Registrar: Hon. Editor: Dr. Richard Reavill Professor Liz Schafer Mrs Marjory Agha 7 Nuns Acre 372 Stroude Road 18 Pembroke Road Goring, Reading Virginia Water Kensington Berkshire RG8 9BE Surrey GU25 4DB London W8 6NT 0149 187 2574 0134 484 2836 0774 684 7126 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

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