Visiting Mr Green by Jeff Baron
Rose Theatre, Kingston
It
was quite wonderful to enter Kingston Theatre a few weeks ago, not for a
meeting or to take a tour or to hear another story of disappointment, but to see a play. And there
were lots of others there as well. It was crowded, noisy and fully
functioning. I confess there have been times over the past few years when I
did doubt I would ever see the day.
The first play was a new version of Uncle Vanya directed by Peter Hall. I have not previously been a Chekov fan, but this was a light translation by Stephen Muirine, very easy on the 21st century ear, and pulling out some remarkably prescient Chekovian environmental issues. Having got the script, you need the actors and overall the ensemble was excellent, with Neil Pearson not putting a foot wrong. He was ably supported by a few other experienced actors, most notably Ronald Pickup and Faith Brook.
Two weeks later I had to
take the opportunity to see the 82 year old Warren Mitchell playing the 84
year old Mr Green in Visiting Mr Green. This is a slight
play about homophobia in the elderly Jewish community of New York, but I
can’t believe there will be many more opportunities to see one of the finest
theatre and TV actors of his generation on stage. He is clearly
physically very frail, but the comic timing was inspired, and his
counterfoil, subtly played by Gideon Turner, was an excellent
foil.
Both of these plays are currently touring.
The theatre has a slightly unfinished look, and some of the fittings do look rather temporary. However, the wine prices are good (cheaper than the National and better wine too!). It is worth noting, however, that the Kingston theatre audience does dress up for the evening, unlike London ones. The only problem so far has been that in both visits it was really hard to buy a programme!
The idea was and remains that Kingston will become a producing theatre in its own right. Originally this was by using Peter Hall and the new postgraduate theatre degree offered by Kingston University to create a company of stature and youth. This has clearly not been possible at this stage in the theatre’s development, but as far as I know it is still the main plan. Peter has now stepped down from the senior position in the theatre and I wonder if we might see Kingston as the London venue of Hall’s phenomenally successful Bath Theatre productions? Supposition but quite possible, I would suggest.
All in all this has been a tremendous start from The Rose and the fact that we have got this far reflects incredibly well on everyone who has spent the last two decades transforming their dream into reality.