[P.Huntley]

Friday 16 October

19.00-20.00

Lecture Theatre, Victoria & Albert Museum



The distinguished film, theatre, television and opera director Sir Richard Eyre discusses his new book, Talking Theatre with journalist Al Senter. The book is a fascinating collection of forty interviews in which Sir Richard meets an extraordinary gathering of theatre greats including Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Stephen Sondheim and Sir Peter Hall. He recalls some of the most memorable of these personalities and gives his own insights into the performing process.



Sir Richard Eyre ran the Nottingham Playhouse and the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh before joining the BBC's Play For Today. From 1987 until 1997, he was Artistic Director of the National Theatre where his many productions included Guys and Dolls, David Hare’s Racing Demon and King Lear with Ian Holm.




His television films include the Falklands drama Tumbledown and his cinema credits include the Oscar-winning Iris and Notes on a Scandal.

£8, concessions available

For full details visit www.vam.ac.uk/events

To book call 0207 942 2211 or visit www.vam.ac.uk/tickets

[Jan Brock]

Is there a Q&A session ? Ask him his view of Donald Sinden.

[Orchestrator]

Is there a Q&A session ? Ask him his view of Donald Sinden.

My view of Donald Sinden? The best performer at a Memorial Service. Ever!

He was outrageous in The Scarlet Pimpernel, too.

[Abby]

Is there a Q&A session ? Ask him his view of Donald Sinden.

Hi Jan
I read the Richard Eyre diaries (on your recommendation, so thanks) and I don't really get why you think the Sinden aside is such a big deal. As I recall, RE said something about it being sad or uncomfortable to see someone so established touting for work - it didn't strike me as a bitchy comment. Would be interested to hear your point of view.
A x

[Jan Brock]

Hi Jan
I read the Richard Eyre diaries (on your recommendation, so thanks) and I don't really get why you think the Sinden aside is such a big deal. As I recall, RE said something about it being sad or uncomfortable to see someone so established touting for work - it didn't strike me as a bitchy comment. Would be interested to hear your point of view.
A x

I haven't got the exact quote in front of me, but the implication was Eyre was sad to see Sinden (a very distinguished Shakespearian actor, actually) having to humiliate himself by coming to ask for work - which Eyre didn't give him and then to cap it all added to his humiliation by printing it in his diaries for our entertainment. I would expect that Sinden felt let down in several respects, not least breach of privacy.

I thought Eyre came across as fairly cold in those diaries - another example (from what I remember) is his comments on Ronald Harwood

[El Peter]

Thanks for drawing this Q&A session to our attention. Eyre presents a TV programme well, has been a good radio interviewee, and has (co-)written a couple of interesting books I've read, so this V&A meeting might be worth attending. It is possible to waste a precious hour on relative side-issues, though, so the meeting would need to be well chaired in order to get Eyre talking on some of the big issues his type of director/author/arts administrator must have mused upon periodically.