Angels With Dirty Faces
Yes, those angels with dirty faces, the critics, were out in force again yesterday for the all-day opening of Angels in America in Hammersmith. Some were still smarting from A A Gill’s attack, but most were treating it with the contempt they feel it deserves.
No sign of a Tesco bag, though Charles Spencer owned up to a bulging briefcase and Christopher Hart of The Sunday Times — who’s never even met Gill — was fearlessly sporting a pair of comfy shoes.
Any style points going were scooped by Rufus Wainwright in a light summer checked suit, designer trainers and a diamante-studded collar. Once a few colleagues had explained to Benedict Nightingale who Rufus was, even he did a little gawping.
In the intervals, Rufus joined director Daniel Kramer’s partner, Simon Callow, and RSC chief associate director Greg Doran on the terrace for coffee and drinks. Are they by any chance plotting a Christmas show for the RSC, where Kramer is soon bound?
Between the two plays, Lyric director David Farr and Headlong director Rupert Goold gave us a run-down of future plans. Farr reiterated the old saw of new audiences. He said that for him, the National, the Young Vic and groups like Punchdrunk and Shunt, the future was with their young audiences. He believed that bravery is always rewarded in the theatre, so he was determined to keep on pushing out the boundaries.
For some reason, the perfectly audible Neil Murray of the National Theatre of Scotland was rudely told to “speak up” by Blanche Marvin. Honestly, the quality of behaviour at Press conferences has deteriorated badly, though I’m not quite sure if Blanche qualifies as a member of the Press corps anyway. “Pipe down” should have been Murray’s response
Rupert Goold, referring to his forthcoming co-production with the Lyric and others of Simon Schama’s Rough Crossings, revealed that Schama admits he stole the title from Tom Stoppard, so the theatre was reclaiming its own property. He promised the show would be “cinematic and emotionally overwhelming.” Phew: after Angels in America, I just hope we have time to recover to do it justice.