May the 6th William Shakespeare becomes part proprietor of the Blackfriars Theatre... or does he?

(The Blackfriars Theatre London)

The daily feature on this blog is an 'On this day in Theatrical History' and it is time I revealed my sources for finding these historical goodies. I am using the 10th edition of the 'Who's Who in the Theatre' which was printed in 1947. I mention this only because the information it has given me seems to have been wrong. It claims that on the 6th of May 1589 William Shakespeare entered into part proprietorship of the Blackfriars Theatre. We now know this to be incorrect as many scholars refer to Shakespeare's time in the 1580s as his 'lost' years, in fact the only time Shakespeare turns up after his twins' baptisms in 1585 is in 1592 when he is referred to as a playwright in London. Sources show that in 1599 the Globe was constructed for the use of the Lord Chamberlain's men, this could have led to the confusion for the authors of 'Who's Who'. The Blackfriars Theatre was not purchased for the King's Men, Shakespeare and his partners' Theatre Company, until August 1608 when Richard Burbage took back the lease on the building from a Henry Evans. So the information provided in my sourcebook is about 20 years off but thats why I enjoy using it. It gives me the opportunity to check the dates and information provided, to educate myself and share what I have learned with all of you.

The site of the Blackfriars Theatre has had two more performance spaces built on it since the times of Shakespeare. Once as the Second Blackfriars Theatre, you can see programmes from performances there if you click on this link... here, and the second time as the Mermaid Theatre which is currently going through a rocky patch regarding its future as a theatre space. You can find more info about the Mermaid at this link here.

Also I found an interesting link to an American site in Staunton, Virginia. It is the site of the American Shakespeare Centre where they have a full size, fully functional replica theatre of the Blackfriars Playhouse. To find out more about their replica theatre and the sterling work they do in America then please click here.

Coincidentally it is Shakespeare season on the BBC right now. Have you been watching?

Click here for more information and to find out what's on.



Theatre Programmes: Out of the Crocodile Phoenix Theatre London 1963-1964

Out of the Crocodile was performed at the Phoenix Theatre London from late 1963 until early 1964. It starred several famous actors and was a theatre piece by famous tv screenwriter Giles Cooper.

This may be my favourite part of these programmes, the adverts and this one on the back is just hilarious.

Special finds in London and the battle of the Gayefs

So here we are, myself and LibraryGirl, on holiday in the garden of England quite literally a stones throw from central London. Have we crossed into the capital? Of course we have. Was it worth it? Oh most definitely. Tonight I thought I would just share with you some of the finds we have acquired for the 'Theatre From My Head' library and RTDA book list.

This lovely little selection was actually presented to me by LibraryLady, LibraryGirl's Mum, who had sourced these all in Kent and they are just wonderful. The Cowards are particularly fantastic because they seem unread. However I was instantly drawn to the Dover Thrift editions which I think have the most wonderful covers and readable print inside. These too were near mint copies and I just got stuck in, I am halfway through reading 'The Cherry Orchard' by Anton Chekhov and am really enjoying it. I played Gayef, the same role Stanislavski himself played in the original production I would quite happily wager that I was a better Gayef than him, when I performed it in my BA course and we went very over the top and it was all just very odd. The play itself is of course odd and full of absolutely mental situations like 50 year old women crying over cupboards! Why on earth we thought that the way we should tackle a high comedy like this by completely blowing our characters up to the level of caricatures I do not know but it was great fun. I would highly recommend 'Cherry Orchard' because it is very sad as well as very funny, there is a great pathos to the comedy within the script and it does make this a very satisfying read as well as a great play. So thank you LibraryLady for providing me with plenty of resources for RTDA. Coward is now next on my list of playwrights works to start reading.

This little lot is part one of the haul I got whilst traipsing around West London yesterday. It was a very cold day but completely worth it just for these few tomes and the goodies LibraryGirl discovered.

Noah by Andre Obey first came to my attention a few months ago when I read a review of Gielgud's performance of the play. I have been looking for it ever since and yesterday it was the first book I spotted.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile and other plays by Steve Martin. Steve Martin is someone I grew up watching in films such as Father of the Bride and Parenthood, I never really understood who or what he was until I got into Saturday Night Live and witnessed his madcap comedic style. His writing has been highly respected for many years and this will be my first chance to read one of his scripts.

Brief Lives by John Aubrey is one of those things you hear about but you don't actually know anything about. I had heard good things about this piece and the fact it is another one man show, an ongoing theme for me it seems at the moment, made me want to read it just for the audition monologues potential.

I, Fatty by Jerry Stahl. This one I could get a slap on the hand about, after all it's not a biography really, it isn't about how to perform slapstick. It is in fact a novel about the life of Fatty Arbuckle from the viewpoint of Arbuckle. It just sparked an interest in me and I hope it proves a nice break from all the theoretical and non fiction books I read about people and the world of theatre/film.

The Actors Book of Contemporary Stage Monologues. Sort of self explanatory really isn't it? Granted they are not contemporary now but still reading monologues from plays generally makes me want to see or read the whole piece and that can't be bad can it?

Educating Rita and Others by Willy Russell. More plays, always handy to have and to study.

Timberlake Wertenbaker: Plays 1

Kenneth Tynan Letters. Letters from the great theatre critic, something both LibraryGirl and I are very excited about reading.

And now for my favourite find....

Nine different souvenir brochures from various productions held in the West End over the past 25 years. I was absolutely flabbergasted to actually find these, so many times people buy them and just throw them away after they have been left to rot or gather dust in a drawer somewhere. I collect these because they show a small glimpse of the theatre of that time. Some of these are just brilliant and some are just plain disturbing, I'm looking at you 'The Trackers of Oxyrhynchus', but all have great insight and shed light on a multitude of things. Look for these to turn up in my next set of 'Theatre Programmes' articles.

LibraryGirl and I have enjoyed our holiday so far and the finds keep on coming... I am going to need a bigger library!

Theatre Programmes: The World Of Suzie Wong The Prince of Wales Theatre 1959

In 1959 following a successful Broadway production featuring William Shatner, the play The World of Suzie Wong opened at the Prince of Wales in London. Based on the novel by Richard Mason it later became a very successful film starring William Holden among others.

One of my favourite things about these old programmes is the adverts within them.

Theatre Programmes: The Art Of Living at the Criterion Theatre London 1960

During August 1960 a new review based on the satirical writings of Art Buchwald named 'The Art Of Living' was produced at the Criterion Theatre in London for Donmar Productions. Starring a young Edward Woodward this revue wasn't really a huge success but was a fine example of the work of lyricist Julian More who is famous for his work on Expresso Bongo. Here is the cover of the shows programme and below you will find pictures of the inside of the programme.

Loring Mandel's 'Conspiracy' and how my vision came to life... just not by me.

Throughout my life I have been passionate about several things but I would say my two biggest are history and theatre. Growing up I was obsessed with WWII, not in a weird way, and watched hundreds of programmes about the evil that happened during that war and the people involved. It fascinated me and the main reason was because it throws up so many uncomfortable questions about the nature of humanity. Even today I cannot fathom what caused an entire section of Europe to ignore and dismiss the plight of certain sections of society or to justify them. I couldn't understand when younger the powerful weapon of fear and what it could do to nations and to the world. It is my lack of understanding and my desire to reconcile the facts with what I would do in that situation that dragged me back again and again to programmes about the Nazi's and the atrocities that were committed during those six years. When I reached University I was given the opportunity to play several characters in 'Fear and Misery of the Third Reich' a play by Bertolt Brecht which studies the culture of fear and the changing of the German society from within during the 1930s. It is a chilling play which I have never forgotten. I made it my mission to research as much as possible in the rehearsal period of the play, as an actor I make it my own personal quest to learn all I can regarding my character and setting, and part of what I wanted to look at was other plays/films about the Nazi regime and how they approached the stories. So I made a list including films such as 'Cabaret' and 'Bent', both of which I had previously seen and the latter being a play I never wish to witness again due to its content, then I looked into other pieces such as 'Hitler: Rise of Evil' before coming across Loring Mandel's wonderful work 'Conspiracy'.

'Conspiracy' is a dramatisation of the Wannsee Conference, the meeting of Nazi officials and beauracrats who put together the plan of how to exterminate the jews. It was written by Loring Mandel who took the minutes of the meeting, all of which were supposed to have been destroyed, and wove this script together. It is severely chilling and incredibly effective, if you have not seen it before please watch the following clip.

('Conspiracy' was written by Loring Mandel and produced by the BBC and HBO in 2001. It is distributed by HBO and its copyright belongs to those mentioned)

That is a real conversation that actually happened. The men on that day in that room applauded the idea of disposing of 60,000 people a day. It sickened me, not the fact that it happened as we know historically it did, the fact that these men sat around and allowed these horrific things to be said. The idea that fear drove them to such hatred, that the cost of a human life meant nothing to these people and it hit me in a way that I didn't expect. It made the whole situation seem more real and to hear this group of men discuss the way that their goverment would commit genocide and justify it was shocking.

After leaving University the film 'Conspiracy' stayed with me and I began to want to work towards a theatrical production of it. It struck me that it was a fantastic stage play, a sort of Nazi 12 angry men, and that it would be an excellent piece for students of WWII and the holocaust to see. In 2009 I tried finding out how to get hold of the script for the piece. I tried all the usual online film script websites and forums but found nothing. I then did a lot of research on the writer Loring Mandel and found out his agents information. I contacted his agent in LA several times and got no replies, I didn't really expect to as after all I was just some young actor from the UK wanting to put on a play. I didn't give up though, I kept researching Mandel and came across a contact which may or may not have been his family and I thought 'what the heck' so I emailed this contact and it was Mandel's family. They were incredibly nice and helpful and put me in touch with Loring. I got into contact with him and explained how much I loved his film and what I wanted to do with the play if it was available to be performed, rumours had been rife since 2001 that he was going to stage a production in NY, and that I would be using it as an educational tool. I didn't get anywhere with my enquiries but Loring Mandel and the rest of the Mandel family treated me so nicely I just notched it up as a failure that although disappointing was not a dead loss as I got to email someone I greatly admired. I would like to thank the Mandel family again for their help and politeness.

I hadn't given up on one day seeing 'Conspiracy' as a stage play as after all it was a popular film and on numerous occaisions Mandel himself said he wanted to do it. Well in 2010 a theatre company in Michigan managed to get the rights from Mandel to perform the play, the story about the process can be found at this link here, and in November 2011 it was performed for the very first time at the Riverwalk Theatre in Lansing Michigan. I am glad to hear it finally got performed and I hope the power of the piece came through. Sometimes its annoying when you know something would be a good play or production and for whatever reasons you do not get to accomplish what you want but knowing that it has now been performed and has been realised makes me happy. Plus who knows maybe one day the UK premiere of this wonderful play will be a FPTheatre Productions event directed by Christopher Squire... we can hope and plan... now where is that email address?

Review: The 39 Steps UK Tour. Connaught Theatre Worthing 03/02/10

The 39 Steps

On the 3rd of February 2010 my girlfriend LibraryGirl and I attended the Connaught Theatre in Worthing to watch one of the best plays currently touring the UK, The 39 Steps based upon the novel by John Buchan.

Now I haven't been to see a play at the Connaught since 2001 when I saw Flatspin by Ayckbourn and LibraryGirl has never seen a play at the venue so this was going to be an experience for both of us.

We arrived with about 20 minutes to go before curtain up and there was a lot of people in the foyer trying to get to the refreshments kiosk, I didn't go up to Frasers bar so I didn't see how busy that was but the kiosk was busy all night but more on that later. When we picked up our tickets I went to get a programme for the show, instantly getting out a fiver I didn't expect to get much change considering the price of programmes on the West End. I was surprised to find that the programme was only £2.50 which to me is a bargain.

We entered the auditorium to find that the set for the show is visible even during the breaks and pre show; it is a false proscenium arch with a red curtain and two theatre boxes. Now I have never seen the 39 Steps the film (any of the three versions) and I have not read it either so this set piqued my interest instantly. The theatre started filling up and by the time the curtain went up I would say they were two thirds full. In fact some of the people in the audience had seen the play numerous times on the West End before and because it was touring had come to see it again, high praise indeed, I was now very excited.

Then it began.

The fourth wall is instantly broken within the first scene of the play to allow us the audience to realise we are as much a part of the play as the actors. Then all sorts of chaos break loose. The story is like an avalanche of melodrama and comedy rolling down upon the audience at break neck speed. This is well managed chaos, the type of chaos that enhances the story of the escape from the police and heightens the tension of the espionage plot. The fact that there are only 4 actors in the cast playing all the roles also feeds into the spy plot really well as you start asking yourself 'who is really who?' 'Is he a police officer or a spy?' and so on. The other part of the on stage chaos is the obvious lack of seriousness during the majority of the play, there is such a tongue in cheek feel to this piece that it feels friendly and warm and like a shared experience between audience and performer.

The acting is top notch, the way I have described the show as chaotic and lacking in seriousness probably belies the fact that it is such a tight production and obviously painstakingly rehearsed. Performances feeling as spontaneous as this are always very well rehearsed to get that feeling, you also need some very special actors who can pull it off. Luckily the cast in this show is the best.

Dugald Bruce-Lockhart who plays Richard Hannay is fantastic as the dashing and bumbling lead character. His accent reminds me of Alexander Armstrong but his entire demeanour evokes a different era, his stiff upper lip cannot get any stiffer and his British wit is cutting in its delivery.

The Olivier Award Nominated Katherine Kingsley as Annabella/Pamela/Margaret is brilliant moving from high hammy melodrama as Annabella, through soft realistic tones as Pamela to the pure romance of Margaret. Her characters are all distinctly different and if I had no idea that there was only a cast of four I would have thought there were 3 different actresses on the stage.

However good the two 'leads' are this show really belongs to Richard Braine and Dan Starkey as Man 1 & Man 2. These two play ALL the other parts in the 39 Steps, whether it is the Palladiums Compere and Mister Memory, the sinister men with lamppost (very funny) or the hotel keepers they keep the story rolling along with their fabulous acting and physical comedy. Braine is perfect in this role as his work on children’s slapstick series such as Bodger and Badger, Bernard’s Watch and Chucklevision has provided him with a lot of experience for this kind of acting. Starkey on the other hand is in many ways on a whole other level, his clowning is phenomenal, his comedic timing is bang on and his portrayal of the ancient Scottish Politician canvassing votes is perhaps the funniest thing I have seen in a long time. The energy these two exude into the piece makes this show memorable and a true theatrical event.

The actual production itself is genius; all the main set pieces are reusable in different ways. They use 3 trunks, 2 ladders, 2 chairs, 1 portable fire place and 1 wardrobe that contains a hotel bedroom! To be honest if needed the production doesn't even need the fake arch with built in boxes, it would still be extremely effective with just a bare stage and these bits of set. And therein lies the genius of this production, it is so well thought out, so well constructed and rehearsed that it could all be pared back and still be amazing. The concept for the 39 steps is just brilliant it makes me super jealous I hadn't thought of it.

So overall did we enjoy the show? Well LibraryGirl did and so did I, I absolutely loved it. It was brilliant and I wish I had bought tickets for every night because I could watch it again and again and never get bored. I recommend it to anyone as this is really a show for the whole family despite some mild violence. There is nothing offensive it just good old fashioned fun.

What about The Connaught? Well at the interval we went for ice creams, there was a long line yet I was only waiting for a minute as they had a fluid system going and it was only £1.70 each for an ice cream which is yet again another bargain. We sat in Row J seats 4 and 5 which I wouldn't recommend because its right by the entrance to the auditorium and getting out at the end was challenging as people barged past. However if you go to the venue to see a movie sit in row J in the middle for the best view in the house.

All in all a bargain night out for West End quality theatre at a fraction of the price. Will I go to the Connaught again to see a play again? Definitely.

For more info on 39 Steps see: http://www.love39steps.com/

For the Connaught see: http://www.worthingtheatres.co.uk/

RTDA: The Entertainer by John Osbourne presented by the BBC.

So this week my new mp3 player arrived and after spending a good few hours organising my music collection, the shows and soundtrack folder is jam packed, I started looking at my spoken word resources. Here in the UK we may have the best broadcasting organisation in the world with the BBC as they put on so many great productions and programmes both on the television and their various radio stations. Over the years I have recorded and collected a wide range of plays and programmes on the theatre always with it in mind to listen to them, much like my issues with my book collection, but now I have actually put a selection onto my mp3 with the idea of listening while I work. This week I put on a couple of programmes and plays but the big one that I had was a BBC Worldwide production of 'The Entertainer' by John Osbourne featuring Bill Nighy as Archie Rice the main character. I once tried to read 'The Entertainer' because of having read 'Look Back in Anger' and loving the characters and I found it slightly hard to follow and not very compelling. I should probably add that this was when I was 17 and really had only just been introduced to work the likes of Pinter and Osbourne so I was learning slowly. Then around the beginning of December I was looking through one of my monologue books and came across one of the Archie Rice speeches and was hooked by his laid back malice. So when I put the play on I was hoping to enjoy the whole thing.

I worked and listened and found myself sucked into this family that just exists, much like Britain after WWII the rice family just exists. It doesn't prosper and it has no future according to its main protagonists. Nighy was brilliant as Archie playing him in the first three quarters with so much charm that I believed I had the character down all wrong, that I must have misheard and misread all the information I had found about the play. Then nearer the end he becomes nastier as it transpires he has fallen for some floozy and has no interest in his wife or family any longer. By the time he puts his elderly father back on the stage you hate Archie Rice and realise that he plays the role of genial gentleman and comic 24/7 even with his immediate family just so he can get what he wants from life. I found the play very interesting and entertaining as well. I look forward to listening to more BBC productions on BBC 7 in the coming weeks.

I recommend anyone who wants to experience some of the best actors in the UK playing some fantastic roles to go straight to the BBC Radio website and check out Radio 4 and Radio 7.

Broadway is Bankable despite Old Fashioned Prejudice still popping up

In a Week when the final part of the true Golden Era of Broadway came to a close with the sad death of the last Zeigfield Folly, she passed away at the age of 106, two stories were released which gave a fascinating look at both the success and dark side of Broadway. The first which caught my eye was the news that during the 2009-2010 season Broadway has generated nearly $10 billion worth of revenue for New York city. According to the Broadway League this has included the support and creation of over 84000 jobs and generated nearly $500 million in New York taxes which really makes me smile and goes to prove a very big point on the arts. A good arts sector, not just theatre but all types of arts, can increase an economy and here in the UK the arts sector in London I am sure does produce a vast amount of revenue and taxes just like on Broadway it is just that it is harder to find the results. (When I say harder that is due to the fact that getting all those reports is simple if you are willing to fork out £50 for The West End Theatre Report which can be viewed here)

Of course the $10 Billion isn't just on money spent going to shows, watching the plays, buying the intermission drinks and programmes etc. This is money that goes into Hotels and Restaurants proving that the Theatres and the Great White Way actually generate more business for New York City. When the figures are analysed it turns out that 96% of the money spent on Broadway is from people outside the city which also proves that despite the Global Recession the tourist industry is still strong within America and that people around the World are still choosing to experience what Broadway has to offer. This does give me hope that The West End is doing the same over here in the UK and Europe but until I get to see any figures (I am still searching for alternatives to the official book of reports) I won't be able to go much further. Of course an economical contribution of $10 Billion may not be a figure we will be heading towards in the UK but it will still most likely be a substantial amount of money.

Now whilst this is brilliant news after all in todays economic market a product or industry that provides that amount of money to just one major city is a great boon, however it seems that America and its conservative values and opinions are starting once again to rear their ugly head within the industry.

Last week an American critic criticised the homosexual actor Sean Hayes, famous for his portrayal of the ultra camp and gay Jack in Will & Grace, couldn't 'Cut it' playing a straight man. Now Hayes is currently playing the role of Chuck Baxter the eternal bachelor from the Billy Wilder film 'The Apartment' which is what 'Promises Promises' the play in which Hayes is performing is adapted from. GLAAD have obviously become very angry about the situation and demanded an apology however there are still some question as to how good Hayes is and whether or not he can pull off a straight character. Of course he can be a straight character, if Eric McCormack can play a gay character in the same show that shot Hayes to fame then why shouldn't Hayes play a straight man? Reviews for the show are not great that is true but it seems to be that the general consensus is A) The show is very dated and that is the reason it hasn't been revived for 40+ years B) Sean Hayes performance is brilliant and nothing like the OTT camp act that he has been stuck doing for years. The fact is that despite the changes in our western society regarding the attitudes towards homosexuality there is still, despite our industry being filled with people from all racial, economic and sexual backgrounds, this pervading belief that homosexuals either have an agenda or cannot play certain types of character is wrong and has no place in the 21st century. It is just a sad indictment of how little progress some people have made over the past 50 years.

To see what GLAAD have to say about the article please click here.

To see the other two articles then please click here and here.

Xtofer

Northbrook Theatre ND 2nd Year FMP 2004: Motel Styx

So whilst sorting through the vast LibraryGirl archive yesterday we came across the program for my college Final Major Project of my National Diploma course. My final major project would end up being the devising portion of my diploma, we were working towards a piece of decent theatre with something we all wanted to say. We started out under the tutelage of Keryie Vickers a drama and dance teacher at Northbrook who sat us all down and discussed with us how the whole thing was going to work and who we should think about basing the majority of the action around. Now there were only four boys within our year group and I was the only member to not have played a lead. Now when you look at me I can't play the romantic lead because I look completely wrong for that type of role, I couldn't get a lead in either of the two musicals because I never stay in key and during the Shakespeare I was looked over for a more experienced actor. I have never complained about this because I actually quite like playing secondary characters because I know it is them who drive the story forward with their actions and words. I also like trying to make the best of a really deep character researching and exploring them so not getting a lead role ever really bothered me. So when Keryie laid it all out and said we should put our best serious actor forward in a decent role I thought of Robin but she nominated me, which was an honor, so I was going to play the central character. Even now I look back and shake my head at the chaos that ensued because of me being the lead and having the ability to write whatever I wanted. We were also placed under the watchful eye of a final year PGCE student named Keith Wallace, now Keith was such a nice guy and a very good actor. He was a mature student who when I had begun my National Diploma the year before had been in the BA Acting year group so I had watched him perform many times and he was a really good actor, great breathe control and vocal quality with a real talent for putting together complex and disturbing characters. I went into the project with great respect for Keith and he gave it back to us, it was fun devising a show but it wasn't what I would call a clever show or even a good show. The play was called 'Motel Styx' it was about this guy who had gone out drinking with his friends, great premise for a play and it was all my writing (this part at least), gotten so drunk that he became seperated from his pals and ends up stumbling into this creepy looking hotel. Now in retrospective I can see where certain films, programmes and themes permeated my work at 17, yes I was only 17 so please... cut me some slack, films such as the Rocky Horror Picture Show which I must have seen nearly 500 times and the theme of going out and partying came from my own insecurities about the fact that I didn't do those things and thought I should. So we had the typical generic scary old building entered by unsuspecting person, me, we even had a stereotypical creepy Hotel Manager played by our ASM Rick Ayres. Then the show got weirder and more complicated, convoluted and inherently unfunny. I had somehow thought I was writing a wonderful array of sharp and biting comedy when I started writing lines for the hippy character when in actual fact it was worse than any steretypical improvised off the top of the head impression of a concept of a hippy. The plot was a mess and I decided to send up a pop star during the show by referencing Justin Timberlake but I didn't just reference him I did a spin and sang in a high voice a line from 'Rock your body' which fell flat on its face, it wasn't funny. I looked like a prat, I felt like a prat and it wasn't fun LibraryGirl remembers it as being 'just awful' and it was. The show meandered on until mercifully it ended. The only good thing about the whole show was our set which was designed by a lovely designer named Amy Lin Braby and put together, organised by our set builder and foreman Nick Hollingdale, who now works on the Joseph national tours, it was a magnificent moving truck which allowed us to have doors and rooms move during the show. It was the most ambitious set I was involved with at Northbrook. Motel Styx was the final show of the ND that had helped show me what I wanted to do with my life, it also taught me a lot of lessons on how not to do those things. Thankfully I believe the script to this abomination was destroyed many moons ago and is not going to just pop up out of nowhere, however I do have the flyer still which I have photgraphed. If you go to the following link you will be able to read a little more about the production in the words of Rick Ayres.

If you wish to contact me or make a comment then please post below or send an email to me at this address.

Xtofer

Brimstone and Treacle still vile after all these years

On Saturday we visited London once again and on a beautiful January day we headed for, what has become my favourite part of the City, the Southbank of the Thames. On the Southbank is situated the BFI and inside there is the Mediatheque which allows you to watch free movies from the BFI collection. Inside the archives at the BFI they have a large amount of the 'Play for Today' programmes, about 60 of the original 300 broadcast, of which I have now watched a couple. I really enjoyed the first one which was 'Brassneck' by David Hare and Howard Breton and when searching through the archive noticed 'Brimstone and Treacle' and I noted it down as a future watch. I knew about it being a banned play but I just assumed that it had been banned for a mild reason, in this multimedia world of disgusting images available at the touch of a button surely a play written in the mid 1970s couldn't offend. I was wrong.

Starring Denholm Elliott, Michael Kitchen, Patricia Lawrence and Michelle Newell this play focuses on the life of a tragedy struck family and how one stranger infiltrates and takes advantage of that family.

The play begins with Martin, who refers to himself as a Demon, (Kitchen) on a London suburb street talking about sulphur and looking around for a mark. He talks to a gentleman trying to insinuate himself into the mans life asking if he remembers him, this man doesn't and rebukes Martin who quickly moves onto Mr Bates (Elliott) who walks into view and gets sucked in slightly by Martin. Martin claims to know Mr Bates which makes him ask how and he claims to have known Mr Bates' daughter which makes Bates dubious as his daughter is paraplegic due to a tragic car accident two years previous. Martin claims to have proposed to the daughter but she turned him down so he went to America and had heard nothing about what had happened to her in the meantime but that he wants to see her again despite her being disabled. Mr Bates finds this most distasteful and tries to leave Martin but Martin fakes a seizure and Bates says he will fetch the car. Mr Bates leaves. Martin has stolen his wallet though and follows him home.

When Bates gets home we meet his wife who is looking after their daughter Pattie, a brilliant performance by Michelle Newell, and she is speaking to Pattie because she believes that her daughter will eventually get better. Mr Bates has already made up his mind that his daughter no longer exists and is just a physical shell despite the fact that when they talk to her she obviously responds. Martin turns up with the wallet and sends Mr Bates into a tizzy who is infuriated that the man he tried to lose followed him but stays polite and explains the situation to his wife who talks to Martin. Martin uses his natural charm to insinuate himself into Mrs Bates confidence and she accepts him as a would have been son in law nearly instantly. Mrs Bates is flattered by the attention that Martin gives her and of the chance that she has to actually converse with someone other than her husband as she has to stay at home and look after Pattie. During a session where the three of them drink a little too much and Martin allows himself to be spoken to we find out that Mr Bates has a problem with black people and believe the Conservative Party is now too soft so he has joined the National Front. As it gets late and Martin has volunteered to help look after Pattie because of his faux love of her since she turned down his proposal he is allowed to stay in Patties old bedroom upstairs. As soon as he gets up there he starts rummaging around her underwear drawer, finding some sort of perverse pleasure from the experience. This was the first thing that made me feel slightly uneasy. Then the perversion within this play comes out as he goes to bed and uses his demonic powers to sexually abuse and arouse Pattie who is sleeping downstairs.

The next day Pattie seems a little more responsive but Mr Bates is still unconvinced and Martin is treated badly by him again. When Mr Bates goes to work Martin convinces Mrs Bates to go get her hair cut and that he can look after Pattie whilst she is out. Once she has left the house Martin rapes Pattie in one of the most chilling and disturbing scenes I have ever witnessed on film.

The rape scenes in this play are disturbing not because of the content but because of the subject, this woman is the most helpless kind of person there is. Pattie is a woman who cannot say no, who cannot make a decision and she is fully exploited and violated by this demon. Then you add in the creepiness of the lines within the text which are wonderfully performed by Kitchen. Finally to really offend your sense of propriety and decency these rapes and molestations lead to Pattie coming to and being healed of her disability. It is a sick and twisted part of a play which actually brings up some very interesting points and makes you question the motives of this demon. My favourite part of this play is when the demon/Martin confronts Mr Bates with the reality of his racism, the reality of his 'send the blacks home' attitude. What starts as a simple conversation about how the NF will send them back to Africa/Jamaica/India etc leads to Martin bringing up the one fact that I like hearing racists and people like Nick Griffin try and answer which is 'What are people who are born here? Because according to you they are not British'. Martin goes on to point out that the only logical way to get rid of them is to have another Holocaust but here in England. This causes Mr Bates to reevaluate his beliefs. It is a brilliant piece of text and it is wonderfully performed by Kitchen and Elliot, it had me completely fixed to the screen I just wish it was a theatre play so I could experience the power of those words personally.

This play is vile in the way it portrays rape against a disabled woman and I think Alisdair Milne the man who cancelled its original broadcast in 1976 put it best by saying: "nauseating" though "brilliantly made".

This piece of work made me incredibly uncomfortable but it did make me think and also question what was acceptable in the theatre. Was this a step too far? I cannot say yes and I cannot say no because I was so offended by the ideas perpetrated by the sexual scenes.

I do not know what message Dennis Potter wanted to get across because I cannot work it out. It is a piece of work I respect yet find highly offensive. I think this piece is important to watch for any drama student to understand the limitations that sometimes need to be adhered to.