Much as I love and respect David Hare for all that he’s done in the past, and can still occasionally whip up today, I have to agree with your assessment about his recent opining on This Cultural Life. I listened to the programme and was dismayed to hear him rattling on like, well, a bit of a fogey.
Which was a shame, but, there you have it: we might not all turn into some nightmare vision of an old and out of touch fogey in our dotage, but the facts and the stats suggest most of us will. But it’s always disappointing when our heroes do so.
Dear Mark, Thank you for your thoughtful post. I very much hope I will NOT turn into an old and out of touch fogey. My father hasn't and he is 93, but you never know. As someone who has spent a lot of time in her career interviewing "heroes" or remarkable people, I learned early on not to count on them being proper people in real life. They rarely are.
Wise words, Rosie. I’ve also met some people I admired from a distance, with the inevitable mixed results you could predictably have expected.
But when they meet or even exceed any expectations you might have had, well, it’s a lovely bonus as well as an undying seal on your relationship with them, is it not?
Never met Bowie (errr…why, where, and how don’t even come into this hypothetical fantasy!), but if I had and it had turned out badly, I don’t think I could have survived it…ha-ha!
PS Never much of a great fan of the Stones, but Keith Richards really is a star…in the best possible way!
Back in 1995 I was once humming a tune by David Bowie (Young Americans) to myself, as I am a massive fan, and I happened to pop in to see a friend, Bernie Jacobson who owns a gallery in Central London.
It was lateish and he was locking up. "I'm just about to go to Tate (before it became Tate Britain) and see a show, Rosie," he said "But let's have a chat." We chatted. His car turned up to take him to Tate Britain.
DAVID BOWIE GETS OUT OF THE CAR.
They were going to the preview of a big Picasso show together. Bernie introduces me to DAVID BOWIE. I am actually speechless. They drove off in the car to Tate. I am still stunned by the serendipity of the event.
Well, I’d have been stunned speechless, too, Rosie! Still, at least there was no time for him to (potentially) crush you with disappointment…though I’m sure that would never have happened!
And you got much closer to him than most, so that’s some small consolation, no?
Stardom. It’s a bonkers thing, is it not? For they are, after all, just like us when push comes to shove.
They are. And I have been woefully disappointed by some stars who it turned out had size 14 feet of clay. But not all. It was just as well I only met DB in that way, to be honest, because the key about interviewing celebs is NOT to meet them as an admirer, but as an equal, and I don't think I would have been able to do that with Bowie.
I rather doubt that moderately successful playwrights whose time may have been significant, but has passed, would be best placed to criticise an artistic director of the National Theatre, notable to the press as the first holder of the position who is both a woman and a person of colour, but is actually as steeped in the nature of theatre, its history and function as other great holders of the position from Richard Eyre to Trevor Nunn, alongside the various priorities of Olivier, Hall, Hytner and Norris.
Dear Mike, you are absolutely correct and should be very proud that Indhu Rubasingham is a graduate of your Drama Dept at Hull University, of which you are now Professor Emeritus.
Weirdly, I'd been thinking about this recently - well, early visits to the National - and came to very different conclusions from Hare (and not quite the same as yours, but similar). I mean, it's simply not the 1980s anymore...
I do (sort of) miss the repertoire system and I don't expect to see it return. I don't think it's only the tech side of it that has put paid to it, I suspect it's harder to get actors to commit to the longer contracts that would be needed to make the system work. So, yes, I do miss the sense of a company that you'd sometimes get - and that sense of wonder of the same actor producing such different performances - but that's a bonus, not the main event.
In many ways, I probably miss the repertoire more in places like Scarborough where I would need to travel, but could see two or three plays in a short space of time. But I doubt that will worry the various tourist boards as I'm probably not typical. (That has been said. Often!)
What Hare didn't seem to mention (well, not in the coverage I've seen - but I haven't listened to it yet) was Platforms and the like. Small scale and a bit ad hoc, they often seemed to be things that you wouldn't see elsewhere. And music in the foyer, that was fun - but these days, there's so much buzz from the audience, I'm not sure that you'd be able to hear the music.
To be honest, if I were to want to see the National change one thing, it would be: bring back Sunday opening. Oh, dear - I'm getting nostalgic...
Dear Bren, your thoughts are so insightful, I had forgotten about the music in the foyers and also the Platforms, even though I hosted a couple back in the day. I was truly amazed however when I assessed how much is actually on at the National, both on the South Bank and on tour. It is remarkable and I would much rather see work on at Theatr Clwyd or Stephen Joseph, for example than in rep at the South Bank. Even though it WAS amazing to see actors show their versatile chops. Agree however many actors wouldn't want to do such stuff these days, they need to fillet it in with appearances on Dr Who (which is also fine) and such like. Sunday openings! Now that was a good thing. Thanks for your post.
Much as I love and respect David Hare for all that he’s done in the past, and can still occasionally whip up today, I have to agree with your assessment about his recent opining on This Cultural Life. I listened to the programme and was dismayed to hear him rattling on like, well, a bit of a fogey.
Which was a shame, but, there you have it: we might not all turn into some nightmare vision of an old and out of touch fogey in our dotage, but the facts and the stats suggest most of us will. But it’s always disappointing when our heroes do so.
Shame.
Dear Mark, Thank you for your thoughtful post. I very much hope I will NOT turn into an old and out of touch fogey. My father hasn't and he is 93, but you never know. As someone who has spent a lot of time in her career interviewing "heroes" or remarkable people, I learned early on not to count on them being proper people in real life. They rarely are.
Wise words, Rosie. I’ve also met some people I admired from a distance, with the inevitable mixed results you could predictably have expected.
But when they meet or even exceed any expectations you might have had, well, it’s a lovely bonus as well as an undying seal on your relationship with them, is it not?
Never met Bowie (errr…why, where, and how don’t even come into this hypothetical fantasy!), but if I had and it had turned out badly, I don’t think I could have survived it…ha-ha!
PS Never much of a great fan of the Stones, but Keith Richards really is a star…in the best possible way!
Back in 1995 I was once humming a tune by David Bowie (Young Americans) to myself, as I am a massive fan, and I happened to pop in to see a friend, Bernie Jacobson who owns a gallery in Central London.
It was lateish and he was locking up. "I'm just about to go to Tate (before it became Tate Britain) and see a show, Rosie," he said "But let's have a chat." We chatted. His car turned up to take him to Tate Britain.
DAVID BOWIE GETS OUT OF THE CAR.
They were going to the preview of a big Picasso show together. Bernie introduces me to DAVID BOWIE. I am actually speechless. They drove off in the car to Tate. I am still stunned by the serendipity of the event.
AAAAGHHHH!!!!
Well, I’d have been stunned speechless, too, Rosie! Still, at least there was no time for him to (potentially) crush you with disappointment…though I’m sure that would never have happened!
And you got much closer to him than most, so that’s some small consolation, no?
Stardom. It’s a bonkers thing, is it not? For they are, after all, just like us when push comes to shove.
They are. And I have been woefully disappointed by some stars who it turned out had size 14 feet of clay. But not all. It was just as well I only met DB in that way, to be honest, because the key about interviewing celebs is NOT to meet them as an admirer, but as an equal, and I don't think I would have been able to do that with Bowie.
There are a lot of cross men around aren't there
Yes, furious amounts (pun intended) !
I rather doubt that moderately successful playwrights whose time may have been significant, but has passed, would be best placed to criticise an artistic director of the National Theatre, notable to the press as the first holder of the position who is both a woman and a person of colour, but is actually as steeped in the nature of theatre, its history and function as other great holders of the position from Richard Eyre to Trevor Nunn, alongside the various priorities of Olivier, Hall, Hytner and Norris.
Dear Mike, you are absolutely correct and should be very proud that Indhu Rubasingham is a graduate of your Drama Dept at Hull University, of which you are now Professor Emeritus.
Well said!!! I heard David Hare on R4 and have to say I found him Very Pompous...
Weirdly, I'd been thinking about this recently - well, early visits to the National - and came to very different conclusions from Hare (and not quite the same as yours, but similar). I mean, it's simply not the 1980s anymore...
I do (sort of) miss the repertoire system and I don't expect to see it return. I don't think it's only the tech side of it that has put paid to it, I suspect it's harder to get actors to commit to the longer contracts that would be needed to make the system work. So, yes, I do miss the sense of a company that you'd sometimes get - and that sense of wonder of the same actor producing such different performances - but that's a bonus, not the main event.
In many ways, I probably miss the repertoire more in places like Scarborough where I would need to travel, but could see two or three plays in a short space of time. But I doubt that will worry the various tourist boards as I'm probably not typical. (That has been said. Often!)
What Hare didn't seem to mention (well, not in the coverage I've seen - but I haven't listened to it yet) was Platforms and the like. Small scale and a bit ad hoc, they often seemed to be things that you wouldn't see elsewhere. And music in the foyer, that was fun - but these days, there's so much buzz from the audience, I'm not sure that you'd be able to hear the music.
To be honest, if I were to want to see the National change one thing, it would be: bring back Sunday opening. Oh, dear - I'm getting nostalgic...
Dear Bren, your thoughts are so insightful, I had forgotten about the music in the foyers and also the Platforms, even though I hosted a couple back in the day. I was truly amazed however when I assessed how much is actually on at the National, both on the South Bank and on tour. It is remarkable and I would much rather see work on at Theatr Clwyd or Stephen Joseph, for example than in rep at the South Bank. Even though it WAS amazing to see actors show their versatile chops. Agree however many actors wouldn't want to do such stuff these days, they need to fillet it in with appearances on Dr Who (which is also fine) and such like. Sunday openings! Now that was a good thing. Thanks for your post.
NOT ENOUGH PLAYS BY DAVID HARE BY GOD. It’s an outrage, says the man who has had SIXTEEN of his plays produced there
Exactly!
Ha ha ! That makes me laugh. I mean HONESTLY!
Is The Vaults gone for good?
Don't think so. Not sure