Will Waspe
Though Peter Hall does not assume the directorship of the National Theatre until next year, it appears that even now he is able to have a decisive word in its affairs — powerful enough to overrule the opinions of Messrs Blakemore and Dexter (the associate directors) and Tynan (the literary con3ultant), with Lord Olivier himself meekly ceding his authority.
The writer, A. E. Ellis, is one who has lately learned this to his surprise and chagrin. Ellis had been hoping that the acclaim that greeted his first novel, The Rath, a few years ago, would be duplicated in the case of his first play, The Jew of Mulhouse — under the aegis of the National Theatre. And he had grounds for his optimism.
The play, which deals with the Dreyfus affair, had been read and commended by Tynan, and passed to Dexter who was eager to direct it. Olivier was less enthusiastic, but when Blakemore, too, declared in favour of the play he agreed that the National Theatre should purchase a three-month option on it. Astonishingly, however, Olivier felt that the project must have the approval of Hall — and Hall, it turned out, heartily disliked the play. Whereat the 'option ' was terminated.
Ellis need not be unreasonably downhearted (his play will doubtless be taken up by some other management), though he cannot be too heartily amused by the fact that the National's decision to reject was taken by Hall — who, whatever his virtues, is not renowned for his shrewdness in the judgement of scripts (ask an investor in his recent Broadway lulu, Via Ga/actica).
All change?
The above remarkable tale must lead us all to wonder what the National Theatre Company will be looking like by the time Hall takes it over officially. It cannot be seriously thought that men like Blakemore, Dexter and Tynan will long remain at the feet of one with whom they will obviously have fundamental disagreements, and in which they will — on current form — inevitably be overruled. Plainly Olivier will not hang around as a mere actor.
And the rest of the company begins to crumble. (No, I'm not referring to the actresses wh6 leave to have babies, though pregnancy seems quite a hazard among the National's young spinsters.) Anthony Hopkins, as you'll have read, collapsed under the strain of it a couple of weeks ago. Now the company's other star young actor, Ronald Pickup, is off to seek his fortune elsewhere.
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