European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 23, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                London theater Hall Redgrave make orpheus a belated hit by Gregory Jensen United press International two of the British theater s most powerful personalities director sir Peter Hall and actress Vanessa Redgrave Are making american playwright Tennessee Williams first play a belated hit. Orpheus descending with Redgrave incandescent in the major role is the first product of an Independent London theater company that Hall has formed after spending 23 years As the prime mover of Britain s tax supported theater sector. It seems a risky Choice for Hall s first commercial production after 15 years As chief of the vast government subsidized National theater. The play transplants an ancient greek legend to a bigoted Small town in the american deep South. Its characters Are mainly unpleasant. Its Story is grim a wandering troubadour arousing such hatred in an ingrown and suspicious Community that he and the woman attracted to him Are destroyed. But Redgrave almost As Well known for her controversial politics As for her acting gives a Superb portrayal of an italian born wife of a Small town shopkeeper. And Hall s production vindicates everything Williams hoped for his play. Williams first presented the play in 1941 under the title Battle of Angels. Battles with the Boston City censor helped kill it in two weeks. But Williams never let it go for 1 7 years he compulsively rewrote it. The 1 957 Broadway production of the play Drew critical Praise and Marlon Brando starred in the movie version called the fugitive kind. The London production is a memorable achievement. You will find the Trail of my sleeve worn heart in this play Williams said and Hall has found it. In his hands orpheus retains the Power of its greek prototype but adds Williams poetic language and lacerating emotions. Redgrave matches her Over heavy italian accent with extravagant italian gestures and supreme sensitivity to her character s lightning switches of mood. Hall s cast is almost entirely British yet he captures the steamy Claustrophobic atmosphere of Backwoods american. The general store set is right the music Superb the supporting actors Fine. As a Young Whiz kid Hall took Over a summer season Shakespeare company at Stratford upon Avon in 1960 and turned it into the year round two City Royal Shakespeare company now recognized As one of the world s biggest and Best. Then he succeeded sir Laurence Olivier As chief of the National supervising its traumatic move into a three theater building on the River thames Bank. In 15 years As the National s chief Hall made it an artistic powerhouse and put it and himself at the noisy combative Center of every Battle Over government funding of the arts. This helped turn Hall 58, into a celebrity. But his theater record also is unmatched producer of some 700 plays director of hundreds of plays and operas around the world a two time Broadway Tony Winner in his spare time artistic director of another British institution Gly Debourne opera. By All reports however his return to the commercial Arena is not going smoothly. There Are persistent reports of difficulties with his two financial backers one British and one american and Hall has been unable to announce firm plans for his new company beyond the next project Shakespeare s merchant of Venice featuring Hollywood Star Dustin Hoffman As shylock this Spring. Doubtless Hall will Battle through these problems As he has so Many others. His commercial company is up and running and judging by orpheus is a group with enormous Promise. Derek Jacob is appearing at the Phoenix in the title roles of Richard ii and Richard Iii. The Bard s the thing by Matt Wolf associated press the Bard s the thing on the London stage these Days with a Stream of productions to compete with the Royal Shakespeare company and a renewed Confidence in Shakespeare s Selling Power. Shakespeare has been the obvious mainstay of the government subsidized rec since it was founded by sir Peter Hall in 1960. In 1989-90, 14 of the company s 27 shows More than Ever before will be shakespearean productions. But what has changed is the amount of Shakespeare available elsewhere. Last season the newly formed Renaissance theater company mounted a sell out 10-week run of three Shakespeare plays at the West end s Phoenix theater winning plaudits for actor manager Kenneth Branagh s vivacity plus a new audience for the Bard. The Phoenix now has Derek Jacobi who directed the Renaissance production of Hamlet in the title roles of Richard ii and Richard Iii. Alan Bates and Felicity Kendal open Early in april in a West end staging of much ado about nothing in repertory with Anton Chekhov s Ivanov. Dustin Hoffman follows in june making his London stage debut As shylock in the merchant of Venice. In the fall Michael Gambon who starred in to s singing detective will play the Lead in Othello with playwright Alan a Cobourn directing. And the English Shakespeare company is staging a seven play Cycle of history plays at the old Vic under the collective title the wars of the roses. This theatrical landscape recalls the pre subsidy 1940s and 50s, when acting greats such As John Gielgud Ralph Richardson and Peggy Ashcroft regularly performed the Bard on the West end. On Broadway by contrast Shakespeare works Are rare and Only two productions in the past decade have made Money the James Earl Jones Christopher plur Rimer Othello and Jacobi in much ado about nothing an rec import. Alan Bates who is associated in the theater with the modern plays of Simon Gray Calls the return to classics very  it is also very Brave but there does seem to be an audience for it he added. Michael Pennington the 48-year-old actor heading the wars of the roses Calls it heartening. A former rec regular Pennington and director Michael Bogdanov started their company in november 1986 to reinvigorate the Bard s plays outside the institutional confines of London s Large subsidized companies. Pennington took the English Shakespeare company to Japan Australia and the United states and returned to find that the company s Richard Iii is one of three on View in London this season. We were concerned the audience was going to be split because a Small minority go to Shakespeare let alone unpopular Shakespeare said Pennington referring particularly to the rarely performed Henry i history plays a trilogy which the est has compressed into two plays. Instead we May have provoked something. Shakespeare is Good Box  the rec is staging much of the same Cycle this season under the title the Plantagenet which conflates the three Henry i plays and Richard Iii into a nine hour Marathon event opening april 1. There s obviously an Energy abroad which is thrilling said rec associate director Adrian Noble. The proof is in the pudding i have a feeling the experience each one offers is so  he thinks the rekindled interest in Shakespeare May be a reaction to contemporary political drama which is often shrill and constricted where Shakespeare is full of scope for new interpretation. Noble directed the rec in a highly praised 1984 production of Henry a turning it into an anti War statement against Britain s War with Argentina Over the Falkland islands two years before the rec survives on its subsidy and the est on sponsorship by Allied Irish Bank. But both the Jacobi double Bill and the Bates much ado about nothing Are straightforward commercial ventures of London s Triumph theater productions Ltd. They Are being presented in a financial climate that favors smaller casts and less elaborate scenery. It s like a Small scale musical with attendant costs Peter Wilkins Triumph s Deputy managing director said of the two Richard plays which Are expected to move on to Washington and Broadway. 22 stripes Magazine february 23, 1989