A little touch of Larry

Glamorous, or what? Today is the centenary of the birth of Laurence Olivier. I am much too young to have seen him as Richard III, Romeo or any other of his great Shakespearean roles except on film. In my theatre-mad teenage years I did see him in several productions at The National Theatre, which he had largely established through sheer willpower. I didn’t realize at the time that not only was he at the end of his stage career but was also ill and suffering from stage fright. So, probably the worst time to have seen him but I’m glad I did. I was lucky enough also to see at various theatres John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson, likewise starting to go out of style, and to be in at the start of the careers of Albert Finney (cor!) and Tom Courtenay. ( Read more... )