Random and topical thoughts and quotes gathered by My Theatre Mates contributor Aleks Sierz, first published on www.sierz.co.uk. One from the archives:
“An Olivier, a Gielgud, or a Richardson is presumably not indifferent to the opportunity of displaying himself in a part that exercises his peculiar qualities; but if such a part occurs in a shoddy play there is nothing in the history of the London theatre in the last ten years which suggests that any of these actors would agree to appear in it. As I say, it is gratifying that the best players should act in the best plays. But it is not so pleasing that the best plays should often turn out to be old ones.”
– Harold Hobson’s The Theatre Now (1954)
Aleks Sierz FRSA is a theatre critic, and author of the seminal study of new 1990s playwrights, In-Yer-Face Theatre. His other books include Rewriting the Nation, The Theatre of Martin Crimp, John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger, The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary British Playwrights and Modern British Playwriting. His latest book (co-authored with Lia Ghilardi) is The Time Traveller’s Guide to British Theatre. He also works as a journalist, broadcaster, and lecturer. Aleks blogs independently at www.sierz.co.uk and tweets at @alekssierz.
