The Making of Theatrical Reputations: Studies from the Modern London Theatre (Studies Theatre Hist & Culture)

305 Pages·2008·2.49 MB·English

by  Yael Zarhy-Levo

the making
e
r
u
t
l
u
C
of theatrical

d
n
a

y
r
o reputations
t
s
i
H

e
r
t
a
e Studies
h
T
from the
n
i

s Modern
e
i
d
London
u
t
S
Theatre
Yael Zarhy-Levo
The Making of
Theatrical Reputations
The Making of
studies in theatre history & culture
Edited by Thomas Postlewait
Theatrical Reputations
Studies from the Modern London Theatre
yael zarhy-levo
university of iowa press Iowa City
University of Iowa Press, Iowa City 52242
Copyright © 2008 by the University of Iowa Press
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
Design by Richard Hendel
www.uiowapress.org
No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form
or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.
All reasonable steps have been taken to contact copyright holders of
material used in this book. The publisher would be pleased to make
suitable arrangements with any whom it has not been possible to
reach.
The University of Iowa Press is a member of Green Press Initiative
and is committed to preserving natural resources.
Printed on acid-free paper
lccn: 2007940204
isbn-13: 978-1-58729-626-0
isbn-10: 1-58729-626-8
08 09 10 11 12 c 5 4 3 2 1
For Yeshayahu, a partner throughout

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1 convergent forces
The English Stage Company and
Look Back in Anger 15
2 divergent forces
Theatre Workshop 63
3 john arden
The Playwright Who Wouldn’t Play Ball 119
4 harold pinter
Who Controls the Playwright’s Image? 161
Conclusion 209
Notes 221
Bibliography 257
Index 279

Acknowledgments
Through the long process entailed in working on this project, in which
I have aspired to study an era, locale, and culture somewhat distant and
different from my own, I have relied on the help and friendship of many
people, to all of whom I am indebted.
First and foremost, my deepest gratitude to Tom Postlewait, the series
editor, for his invaluable advice and enriching intellectual guidance, as
well as for his attentive support and encouragement at crucial moments
in the course of writing this book. I am grateful, too, to Holly Carver,
director of the University of Iowa Press, for her assistance and kindness,
and to Charlotte Wright, managing editor, for her invaluable work. I am
indebted to Rosemarie Bank for her insights, support, and care through-
out. I wish to thank the members of the Theatre Historiography Working
Group, International Federation for Theatre Research, who accompanied
me through the process of working on this project, in particular Claire
Cochrane and Bruce McConachie, for their helpful advice and stimulat-
ing commentaries.
My gratitude to my friends in London for their invaluable help and
concern: to Frances Rifkin for opening many doors, for stimulating con-
versations, as well as for her hospitality and companionship; to Irit Rogoff
for her immense generosity, enlightening perspectives, and attentive care;
to Susanne Greenhalgh for her inspiring commentaries and hospitality;
to Susie Gilbert for her information updates and kindness; and to Adrian
Rifkin and Denis Echard for their advice and hospitality.
I wish to thank all those who helped with the search for and gathering
of information for this book, enabling me to look into the past decades,
especially the staff of the Study Room at the Theatre Museum, while still
in its former, lovely Covent Garden location, who responded patiently
and helpfully to my many inquiries and desperate e-mails. Special thanks
are also due to the staff of the British Film Institute, National Library,
London, in particular to Sarah Currant and Christophe Dupin, for their
kind assistance. I am most grateful to John Arden and Margaretta D’Arcy
for their hospitality, kindness, and collaboration during a highly memo-
rable visit.
The Porter Institute, Tel Aviv University, provided fi nancial assistance