Anwyone know what will be in after Godot?

- I really don't think this season can be any worse then the previous

Really?! But Sean Matthias is artistic director!

Oh no - is he ? I mean I saw he was directing Godot, but has he wider responsibilities than that ? It is very loyal of Ian McK to keep Matthias' career going by letting him direct him every so often (Dance of Death was the last) - maybe they should revive "Cowardice"

I'm afraid he's overseeing the entire second season, Jan Brock. Let's pray he doesn't submit us to another dreadful pantomime. Anyone remember Aladdin at the Old Vic, also starring Serena McKellen?

Oh yes, I had fogotten he directed that too.

The dire "Cowardice" production (not only directed by Matthias but written by him too) was a source of puzzlement to me for many years - why would McKellen appear in such utter rubbish ? How did it ever get into the West End ? Later, of course, it all became clear. The most recent equivalent was Trevor Nunn directing "We Happy Few".

I must have missed Cowardice. What was the premise of the thing?

I was disappointed Dance of Death didn't transfer from New York with Helen Mirren. She probably wanted to minimise the damage done by being in a production at least as over-acted and directed (if not more) as Matthias' Aladdin.

Is Sean Mattias our new Kate Mitchell?

Must we have a new Katie Mitchell? One is enough, surely...

No. Jan Brock and I differ in our opinions on Katie Mitchell (I am, on the whole, a fan and supporter of her work), as do many others. She's definitely a curate's egg of a director.

I don't think Sean Matthias is either good enough, bad enough or stimulating enough as a director to provoke a debate on the scale Mitchell's work seems to have done.

I'm now waiting for someone to pipe up and say "But didn't you see Les Parents Terribles at the National?" To which I would reply, "Did you see Anthony & Cleopatra at the National?"

The premise of Cowardice as I (vaguely) recall it was that McKellen was some unemployed loser who for some reason became possessed by the spirit of Noel Coward and would occasionally sit down at a piano located conveniently in his bed-sit and bash off Why Must The Show Go On ? Something like that. Janet Suzman was in it too.

Mathias is a journeyman director who would probably not have got where he is without his association with Ian McK. Although I thought his Antony & Cleo was OK, unlike everyone else.

Helen Mirren reportedly left Dance of Death before it arrived in London as she wasn't getting on with Ian McK.

Can I just ask, how many of the productions did you see last year?
I actually saw Marguerite 30 times and was at the last night and response from the majority of people I spoke to and the response to Ruthie's speech ws increadably positive. I knwo this was only one production but still I don't agree with your comment.

Maguerite i really didn't like despite some of the strong and convincing performances. i had issues with the fussy direction, cluttered design, shoe horned lyrics, inspid score and lame directionless book - but those factors are my opinions and i did 'acutally' see it once (plus the rest of the haymarket season) so i feel my decision is valid


it was a small majority who liked this show. the critics didn't and the public didn't take to it or it would have completed it's full run and / or moved to another theatre

I'm not sure how seeing one production many times really allows one to state with any confidence that an entire season was good or bad. Plus I quite like a lot of things that I know just aren't that good, or that many other people seem to dislike, so I just take it as read that when this is the case, I'm a minority and not an authority. Is it just me? :/

sorry,m the point I was trying to make was that although the poster didn't njoy whathe saw doesn'y mean that everyone feltthe same way, as I said I enjoyed Marguerite alot as did many peoplewho OI spoke to during the course of the run, my mum also loved the Sea when that was running. I just don't agreewith the original poster, no offence meant by it!

I liked 'The Sea'. It's a shame the season wasn't better-received, I'm really very admiring of Kent's efforts to be a producing house for a year. I wish wish wish it had worked better. Ah well, maybe he'll be ready to try again in a while. The Donmar West End season's going down swimmingly after all...