Whatsonstage.com Outing to Onassis with Robert Lindsay

Robert Lindsay returns to the West End after his Whatsonstage.com Award-nominated performance of John Osbourne‘s The Entertainer as the late Greek Tycoon Aristotle Onassis in Martin Sherman‘s new play ONASSIS at the Novello Theatre and last night over 150 Whatsonstage.com theatregoers came to see him take on this larger-than-life character.

Telling the true story of the relationships between Onassis, his lover Maria Callas and his wife Jackie Kennedy as well as detailing some fascinating ‘truths’ behind his long-running feud with the Kennedy family this play certainly opens your eyes to many of the more compelling details of some of America’s most iconic figures. Sherman, drawing on Onassis’ greek backround infuses the piece with greek dance and music provided by a modern-day greek chorus. This chorus and the references to the interplay between gods and men give this play a sense of classical tragedy while the story itself is strangely moving making this play a really modern tragedy.

Robert Lindsay as the title role steals the show. He presents a tycoon with all the priveledges (and hardships) of hard-won wealth. As changeable as the weather he is never gentle but often generous and can slip as easily from playful to violent as from lustful to bitter. He, along with the full cast who support him seamlessly throughout, present to us a version of American political history as it plays out in the bedrooms, and on the yachts of America and her royalty.

Following the show we were joined by writer Martin Shaw who told us about writing this play and the process behind it. Robert Lindsay and almost all the rest of the cast also joined us and told us about being involved in this production first at Chichester and then in Derby and how that compared to being in the West End. One of the audience members had even met Onassis and could shed some light on his personal magnetism and unflagging attention to detail.

Please do feel free to email your comments and thoughts about the play, as well as any photos you have of the event and the evening through to feedback@whatsonstage.com, we love to hear from you.

Thanks for joining us for this event, and do check the homepage to keep up to date on all of our upcoming Outings.