Rattigan's Nijinsky

Synopsis

In 1974 Terence Rattigan wrote a television script for the BBC about Diaghilev, genius impresario behind the Ballets Russes, and Nijinsky, the greatest dancer of all time. He was proud of it, but the film was never produced and the script, withdrawn mysteriously by Rattigan himself, was never published. Now playwright Nicholas Wright imagines why. In this new play, a dying Rattigan meets Nijinsky’s elderly widow Romola to fight over his beloved play. In the same room, and using Rattigan’s words, Diaghilev and the young Romola fight over the tormented Nijinsky.

Our Review:

26 July 2011

There have been plenty of revivals of Rattigan's plays to tie in with his centenary but Nicholas Wright has taken a play that wasn't and worked an intriguing drama around it.

In 1973, Rattigan was commissioned by the BBC to write a play based on the life of Nijinsky and his relationship with Diaghilev, The play was never performed: Rattigan withdrew it after being pressurised by Nijinsky's widow, Romola. In his play, Wright focuses on conversations that Rattigan has with the BBC and with Romola, interspersed with scenes from the screenplay.

There are some shrewd insights. In a short, but funny scene, Rattigan's mother asks, “why does the truth have to be so ugly?”

It's an appropriate question to ask Rattigan, who was renowned for his ability to bury powerful, emotional themes under several layers. For his final screenplay, Rattigan wished to be more honest and present two men in a gay relationship without any coded messages. In the ultimate iro...

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Latest User Review

Gareth James - 12 August 2011:

This late career screenplay about the life of dancer Nijinsky was never produced by the BBC, apparently because of objections from his wife. Unstageable in its written form, Nicholas Wright has created a play both about it and from it. We’re in Rattigan’s Claridges suite shortly after his arrival from his Bermuda home, here to finalise the production of his screenplay. He gets visits from the man at the BBC and Nijinsky’s wife Romola, but the play is mostly imagined scenes from the screenplay / life of Nijinsky played out in front of us. It was a fascinating life, so it’s a fascinating story. The idea of the structure is better than the result, though, and it felt a bit clumsy – ‘now lets show the audition of Nijinsky as child’, ‘lets move to where he begins hid relationship with Diaghilev’, ‘OK, time for the journey to Buenos Aires’. Interesting story, but a play that ultimately doesn’t work. Again, the design by Mike Britton and Philip Franks’ staging are fine and it suits the big space better than The Deep Blue Sea. Malcolm Sinclair as Rattigan and Jonathan Hyde as Diaghilev are very good and there’s good support from a large cast, most playing two or three roles. Susan Tracy gives fine cameos as Romola Nijinsky and Rattigan’s mother. ...

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