Will Waspe
Actor turned producer Kenneth Griffiths must be getting fairly exasperated over his troubles in getting his TV films actually on the screen. He produced one for ATV about Michael Collins, but Sir Lew Grade thought the material too inflammatory and banned it. Then Griffiths set up another for Thames TV about Baden-Powell, and some preliminary shooting was done in the studios. But when it came to the location work in South African, the technicians' union, because of their principles on apartheid, called it all off.
Now the frustrated producer has a new documentary scripted about his freustrations in having the other two banned by management and labour, respectively. And is presently sweating on IBA approval of the project. And if he gets that, will ACCT men work on a film about a film they banned?
Goings and comings
New National Theatre director Peter Hall is already busily weeding out the players from the Olivier company whose faces won't fit in the new set up. At least a dozen of them have been given three months' notice. On the other hand, one or two who have previously left are likely to return. Diana Rigg, who departed in July to undertake that ill-fated US television series, is expected back next year. And Anthony Hopkins, who left in more curious circumstances but is much admired by Hall, may be eased back to Waterloo Road via the National's New York production of
Ramo.
A certain amount of filching from the Royal Shakespease Company, Hall's former 'baby,' can also be anticipated. Already announced is the transfer of the RSC's PR man, John Goodwin, to the National. Acting stars will doubtless follow, probably including Peggy Ashcroft, who is pencilled in for a Hall production of John Gabriel Borkman in the spring.
Good reading
Two things especially delighted Waspe in the BBC's annual Report, published last week. One was the admission of a surplus of ELI million — a rare occurrence when public money is there to' play with, and doubtless due to an administrative oversight. The other was a delicious understatement in a reference to Party Political Broadcasts: "It would be an exaggeration to say that these broadcasts are universally popular
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