Tag: theatre-review

This blog is written after seeing Anton Chekhov’s ‘The Seagull’ as adapted by Michael Poulton at The Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh on Wednesday 29th October at 2.30 p.m.

October 31, 2025

This blog is written after seeing Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull as adapted by Michael Poulton at The Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh on Wednesday 29th October at 2.30 p.m. Let’s start with the fact that John Poulton calls this version of The Seagull not a translation but an adaption. Nevertheless in his programme note he makes it … More This blog is written after seeing Anton Chekhov’s ‘The Seagull’ as adapted by Michael Poulton at The Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh on Wednesday 29th October at 2.30 p.m.

In the theatre we sit ‘there without moving. But under us all moved, and moved us, gently, up and down, and from side to side’. ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’ stuns and ‘moves’ me.

April 23, 2025

The stages of a long ovation: Gary Oldman honours his audience as Krapp. I am starting this blog in the train home from seeing Gary Oldman in Krapp’s Last Tape in York Theatre Royal. It is a strange thing trying to find the one phrase or sentence of action or speech that stays with you … More In the theatre we sit ‘there without moving. But under us all moved, and moved us, gently, up and down, and from side to side’. ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’ stuns and ‘moves’ me.

Samuel Beckett was as meticulous about writing his stage directions as he was in writing poetic prose, and contingent character-based exclamations, of the monologues and dialogues spoken on the stage. How radically will Gary Oldman dare, if at all, to rewrite both the stage directions and words of Beckett’s spoken by him as ‘Krapp’.

April 17, 2025

Gary Oldman viewing the auditorium of the York Theatre Royal, on whose stage he opened performance last night for the first time of the play by Samuel Beckett, under his own direction, Krapp’s Last Tape. I see it at 7.30 p.m. on 22nd April. Photograph from theatre website: see https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/latest/gary-oldman-stars-in-samuel-becketts-krapps-last-tape-at-york-theatre-royal/ I will see Gary Oldman … More Samuel Beckett was as meticulous about writing his stage directions as he was in writing poetic prose, and contingent character-based exclamations, of the monologues and dialogues spoken on the stage. How radically will Gary Oldman dare, if at all, to rewrite both the stage directions and words of Beckett’s spoken by him as ‘Krapp’.

Good theatre is a shared experience but what is shared can only be decided by negotiation of our responsibility to all of its collaborators – writers, directorial staff, actors, the theatre and the audience. J.B. Priestley has his strange inspector (of what we ask) say in ‘An Inspector Calls’: “you see we have to share something. If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt”. A funny thing happened to me when I went to see Stephen Daldry’s production at the Sunderland Empire on 8th April 2024.

April 11, 2025

Good theatre is a shared experience but what is shared can only be decided by negotiation of our responsibility to all of its collaborators – writers, directorial staff, actors, the theatre and the audience. J.B. Priestley has his strange inspector (of what we ask) say in ‘An Inspector Calls‘: “you see we have to share … More Good theatre is a shared experience but what is shared can only be decided by negotiation of our responsibility to all of its collaborators – writers, directorial staff, actors, the theatre and the audience. J.B. Priestley has his strange inspector (of what we ask) say in ‘An Inspector Calls’: “you see we have to share something. If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt”. A funny thing happened to me when I went to see Stephen Daldry’s production at the Sunderland Empire on 8th April 2024.