27th January, 2009 - 10 Things I Love About the Theatre #4

The third thing that I love about the theatre is putting on a bad show. This seems like an odd thing to say, because no-one wants to put on a stinker. No-one starts work with that in mind.

The fourth thing I love about the theatre is the opening night of a great show. This, of course, is in direct contradiction to the previous entry. But for me, the best feeling that I ever get is immediately after a show that has gone undeniably well on the first night.

If I’ve directed the thing, I know whether I’ve got it right or not. And if I have, it’s the best feeling outside of family life that I’ve ever had. There is a great scene in “The Colour of Money” where the ageing Fast Eddie Felson goes back to playing pool and beats the young upstart. After the show he is perfectly courteous in victory, shaking hands and then packing up his cue. But afterwards, he sneaks outside through a fire door, all alone, and he whoops with delight. That is what it is like for me. A purely personal feeling of satisfaction, realisation and relief.