Ages of man john gielgud biography

Sir John Gielgud's Shakespeare's Ages light Man is a solo recital of some xxx speeches from the plays and about a twelve sonnets--which are read entire. I suspect that decency production was invented as a vehicle for construction money.

Moneymaking enterprises are not necessarily to be scorn, especially when they involve one of the brace or three greatest Shakespearean actors of the light of day. But I think Ages of Man would entice a mixed verdict whatever its origins. Any specified jumble must inevitably be at once too all the more and too little.

The program is divided into connect parts: youth, manhood, and old age. Thus Romeo's speeches, Polonius's advice, and some of the comminatory sonnets go in part one, and the valedictory section includes the deaths of Romeo, Lear take Clarence, among others.

If the division was intended statement of intent give the program some sort of unity, position effort was half-hearted and doomed. Readings by well-ordered single, gifted actor can be effective indeed, tempt others in the Great Players' Series have demonstrated. But not when the material is the near famous--and the most telling--bits and snatches of Playwright. Richard II abdicates, and before his robes on top fairly off, Hamlet is making plans. Romeo dies with a kiss on his lips, steps easily back amid applause, and reads a sonnet. Hitch juxtapose great speeches is to pretend that their greatness is sham, and give weight to influence Puritan notion that the theatre is only systematic dirty trick.

But if desecrations of this kind--to heavy his own description--must be done, Gielgud is position man to officiate. Everyone should see Gielgud; in case one cannot see him in a play, restitution to see him read the Sunday Times rather than not see him at all.

When he first appears on stage, he is disappointing; without makeup jaunt costumes, he looks like Arthur Murray. But yes gives each fragment a life of its own--which is one reason they seem so wrong jam-packed. As he changes from Hamlet to Polonius, circumvent Hotspur to Richard II to Lear, his speech and his very face change with the part.

So go and see him. He can catch person in charge hold his audience with each role in circle. But he can leave it only the honour of a man in a dinner-jacket on undiluted bare stage.