MAN
&
SUPERMAN
by
Bernard
Shaw
Venue: Haymarket 1982
Directed by Patrick Dromgoole
Cast
Jack Tanner
Peter O'Toole
Ann Whitefield
Lisa Harrow
Roebuck Ramsden
James Grout
Octavius Robinson
Timothy Ackroyd
Henry Straker
Michael Byrne
Mr. Malone
Robert Beatty
Hector Malone
John Moulder-Brown
Mrs. Whitefield
Joyce Carey
Miss
Ramsden
Audrey Noble
Violet Robinson
Jackie Smith-Wood
Parlourmaid
Jenny Tomasin
Reviewed by James Fenton
Peter O'Toole'sh performansh in Man and Schluperman (Theatre Royal
Haymarket) ish bashed on the one profound inshight into the character
of John Tanner: John Tanner a shexually vain, intellectlly
shelf-obshessed, biologically opinionated bore. All actors who try to
make him anything elsh are avoiding the isshue and indulging in the
most shamelessh "playing againsht the texsht".
If thish guy ish really such a bore, he must bore the pantsh of the audiencesh in order to shuksheed. It'sh all very well walking out of "King Lear" profoundly moved. That may be what Shakesh...what the Bard wanted. But Shaw ish different. Hish linesh should be delivered in a high-pitched croak: he should preferably shtamp hish feet in order to give emphashish. He should rush onto the shtage and again preferably he should come to a halt before he falls into the auditorium. Thish Mr O'Toole pulled off shplendidly. After that it is shout. shout, shout, all the way.
The supporting casht do their besht with a more traditional approach to the pieshe. Some are rather good (Lisa Harrow, Jackie Smith-Wood, Joyce Carey, James Grout) and shome are not. The shet (by Akache) ish not good. The directior ish Patrick Dromgoole.
If thish guy ish really such a bore, he must bore the pantsh of the audiencesh in order to shuksheed. It'sh all very well walking out of "King Lear" profoundly moved. That may be what Shakesh...what the Bard wanted. But Shaw ish different. Hish linesh should be delivered in a high-pitched croak: he should preferably shtamp hish feet in order to give emphashish. He should rush onto the shtage and again preferably he should come to a halt before he falls into the auditorium. Thish Mr O'Toole pulled off shplendidly. After that it is shout. shout, shout, all the way.
The supporting casht do their besht with a more traditional approach to the pieshe. Some are rather good (Lisa Harrow, Jackie Smith-Wood, Joyce Carey, James Grout) and shome are not. The shet (by Akache) ish not good. The directior ish Patrick Dromgoole.