66 replies to this topic

[Snout]

Silly mistakes like Market Boy will soon be forgotten. More of a problem for me is that I can not yet discern any underlying morality or philosophical code from Hytner - except maybe an ill-defined atheism.
What does he believe in?

[Job]

I've never been an out-and-out Hytner fan, but I admit that the Travelex initiative has been fantastic. However, he has not delivered artistically in the way that Hall, Eyre and Nunn all did. The latter had a fantastic tenure, as a glance at his record will confirm (notwithstanding the ill-informed sniping he underwent while in office) and it was always so much more exciting than the arid wastelands of recent years. Sure, since Nicholas Hytner took over there have been isolated successes like His Dark Materials and Coram Boy, as well as some worthwhile work by interesting directors like Marianne Elliott and Katie Mitchell (I know, I know... not everybody's cup of tea...) but, overall, Hytner has been too right-on for his own good. And who can say that Man of Mode was an isolated stinker when this director also gave us the worst Henry V of modern times?

Job

[armadillo]

See, I thought the Adrian Lester Henry V was absolutely fantastic (and so did plenty of other people including, IIRC most critics). We all have different tastes and it's clearly impossible for the NT to please everyone. I thought Nunn's last couple of seasons had some great stuff but he presided over a fair number of stinkers too (Peer Gynt, anyone?).

I liked Market Boy too. And I certainly don't think you can rely on people suddenly developing an interest in theatre at the age of 40. I certainly don't  qualify for an under-25s discount yet I am often bored senseless by the sort of safe Peter Hall-style costume theatre that is geared towards older theatregoers. Nor will I suddenly develop an interest when I reach a particular birthday.

And I have no idea why having a strong publicly declared underlying morality or philosophical code is any more important for a theatre manager than it is for a teacher or lawyer or local government  clerk. What business is it of theatre goers what Hytner believes (though I would have thought his politics were fairly clearly in evidence to anyone who had bothered to see Henry V or His Dark Materials or Stuff Happens or any of the many other overtly political plays produced during his regime).

[richard]

The 'let's go up to the front in a jeep' Henry V was absolutely ghastly, pc garbage of the worst possible kind.

[Jan Brock]

No new audience for theatre? So a continually declining audience as current theatre goers die off is a good thing? Interesting point of view. However, as someone rather younger than you, I would still like there to be a flourishing theatre scene in 40 years time I believe Hytner has done more to ensure this than any director now working. Frankly if you really haven't enjoyed any the NT's works during Hytner's reign (not History Boys? Not His Dark Materials or Coram Boy or Jerry Springer? Not Democracy or Jumpers? Not Edmond or Funny Thing Happened or Caroline or Change? Not Paul or Measure for Measure or Sing Your Hearts out for the Lads or Pillars of the Community or the Seagull? And yes, I do know he didn't direct all of these.) then I feel sorry for you as you must  be determined to not to have a good time.

Just as a matter of interest, Jan, why don't you, for a change, start a thread about something you like? And why are people here so determined that if they don't like a show or a director or actor, nobody else should? It seems fashionable on this board to despise critics for their attempts to dictate puplic taste while doing the same thing for a smaller readership.

It is really tedious for everyone else to point out how you misrepresent almost everything I say, but as this post is a worse example than usual here goes:

1) I did not say "no new audience". My comment was that it should not be an important part of an artistic policy (as it is with NH). No-one 40 years ago had this as an artistic policy, and yet there is a flourishing theatre scene today, so how come ? The answer is simple (as I said) good productions will attract good audiences - that's all.

2) I did not say that I "really haven't enjoyed" any production. I said I didn't like his artistic policy. The two are different.

3) As for your "why don't you start a thread about something you like ?" - you mean like my thread about the Rupert Goold "Tempest" a few days ago that almost no-one replied to ? That's not much of a discussion is it ? I say I like something, and one other person agrees, and anyone who might disagree will incur your displeasure for posting "negative" comments.

Richard: Right again, the Henry V was the worst production of the play I have seen, no question.

[Job]

For me, the acid test is that I no longer get that special rush of anticipation when the NT's quarterly brochure lands on my doormat. Something not right there.

Job

[Jan Brock]

I liked Market Boy too. And I certainly don't think you can rely on people suddenly developing an interest in theatre at the age of 40. I certainly don't  qualify for an under-25s discount yet I am often bored senseless by the sort of safe Peter Hall-style costume theatre that is geared towards older theatregoers. Nor will I suddenly develop an interest when I reach a particular birthday.

By the way, I suggest you edit your post to remove your sniping about "Peter Hall-style costume theatre" because it makes you sound like an ill-informed callow youth - he championed the early work of Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter and even now in his (albeit mediocre) new Bath season is presenting his own version of Animal Farm, and two new plays, which do not fall into that category either. You might enjoy "Animal Farm" in fact, as I did 20+ years ago.

[Jan Brock]

Silly mistakes like Market Boy will soon be forgotten. More of a problem for me is that I can not yet discern any underlying morality or philosophical code from Hytner - except maybe an ill-defined atheism.
What does he believe in?

He seems to believe that 1970's sit-coms are funny, if his treatment of the Asian characters in "Alchemist" and "Man of Mode" are anything to go by.

[Boob]

Speaking of his treatment of Asian characters, I wonder what he's going to do with Rafta, Rafta... *dreads*

Laughed at the awfulness of the Jeep (and everything else) in Henry V, particularly as it looked like a gratuitous attempt to flaunt a fancy prop which was lying around from Nunn's South Pacific.