Take a Bow, London

The Awards are Flowing In

Boris Johnson in uttering something sensible shock! Yes, it has been alleged that our Mayor of London said something that people might not actually recoil at; might even find themselves nodding their heads to in some quarters, when he addressed the star-studded audience of the Olivier Awards. Of course, he had time to rehearse the pre-recorded spiel but the gist wasn’t at all bad. He pooh-poohed the nasty media for harping on about the failing economy and turned the spotlight on – ta-dah! – our wonderfully fabulous Theatreland. He did spoil it immediately by then plugging the Tube (did someone mention harping on?) but one can forgive a few fluffed lines here and there!

And so here we have it: the Olivier Awards 2009, making a rather flamboyant entrance at Grosvenor House in Park Lane, no less, because frankly it’s all about being centre stage. But, then, above the orchestra pit comes a few dissident rustlings, spoiling the show for everybody else. Mentioning no names (Michael Billington), they generally start about a month or so before the Awards, so they can have a really good grumble about the nominations. What’s out rather than what’s in: where, pray tell, are Michael Boyd, Rupert Goold, Kenneth Branagh? And, then, the morning after the night before the real sniping starts about “the murky business of theatre awards”; “not sour grapes but simply an encouragement to everyone to be sceptical about the statuette-brandishing business”. The Oliviers are only for London theatre, only certain theatres in London are eligible, they’re neither transparent nor democratic enough and, besides, there are too many theatre awards around anyway. And so it goes on.

Can’t we all just celebrate the celebration and, so, celebrate the fact that West End theatre is worth celebrating – if you follow. In any case, the Awards are a theatrical spectacle in themselves worthy of any opening night. What else would you expect from such a profusion of thesps? Amid the Royal Shakespeare Company thanking everyone down to the post boy in Stratford-upon-Avon (London, remember, London), actooooooors being very earnest about their art and pouting celebrities generally tottering about (they’re the ones not clutching awards and sort of half-draping, half-propelling themselves into photographs), only Derek Jacobi (Best Actor) can do it properly, but then he is a well-seasoned professional at this sort of thing (wonderful honour, little bit emotional, kisses the award) and he has the added advantage of being able to pay tribute to Laurence Olivier as a friend.

Just a stage whisper: if you do happen to see a play starring Jacobi – or someone of his ilk (Dame Judi is another safe bet), it’s always worth queuing for the loos for the interval entertainment. There’ll be scores of luvvies exclaiming – as if they’re on stage themselves – things like “Derek... Jacobi... is... just... a-maaa-zing.” Cue much concurrence from their fur-clad friends and another gin-on-the-rocks before the second act.

Aside from the awards and the luvvies – the play-within-the play - the curtain’s up, the show must go on and the West End is in the spotlight. And the Olivier Awards are lighting up a Golden Age of London theatre. Yes, despite ‘the Crunch’, the theatres are full (you try getting a ticket for the Donmar or the Globe) and playwrights, directors and actors are doing awe-inspiring work. So, David Tennant slipped up with a prolapsed disc – meaning no nomination – leaving the way for Claudius (Patrick Stewart) to take Hamlet’s prize (again). La Cage aux Folles burst onto the scene for a sensational star turn to announce it as the Best Musical Revival with Douglas Hodge coming out as the Best Actor in a Musical. And The Histories swept the boards at the Roundhouse with a forage into Shakespeare’s world of English kings, crowned as Best Company Performance, Best Revival and Best Costume Design.

It wouldn’t be the full bill without mentioning Black Watch, qualifying for nomination by the skin of its teeth but winning a decisive victory for the Best New Play, Director, Choreographer and Sound Awards. A little prompt that August: Osage County came all the way from Broadway (it won Best Set Design) and then the obligatory tributes to the dead (no posthumous award, just a mention for Harold Pinter, we think) and the living (Alan Ayckbourn, hooray!)

Mwah Mwah!

A standing ovation.

This is the West End after all.

Bad Planning for Camden Passage

Camden Passage in Islington lost its appeal to save the Mall as the historic arcade was dismissed as 'crude' by a Government planning inspector. It's a sad case of homogenising of the high street as the 18th century former tramshed is to be turned into yet another high street shop. Jack Wills, a chain of clothes shops, replaces the unique antiques shops which have traded here for the past 40 years, giving Camden Passage Mall its colourful character. The inspector over-ruled an appeal by local campaigners and dismissed the Mall as, "of a loose Victorian or Georgian style and are rather crudely executed." Adding, the specialist shops had no special interest or value and gave no "richness of experience."

Jacko Fever

The city came under siege as Jacko Fever reached boiling point this month. Fans of the moon walking one went (literally) crazy and queued through the night at the O2 for tickets to see him during his 50-day residency there in the summer. We can't see what all the fuss is about. Apparently, he's been away for 12 years. Can't say we noticed. However, those fans who consider themselves lucky to have got their hands on the prized 1 million tickets will be pleased to hear that Michael is planning something spectacular - entering on an elephant with 100 Masai warriors and a whole menagerie of animals to continue the jungle theme (if the animal rights people don't stop him).

Olympic Artistic Inspiration

In the countdown to the Olympics (only 3 years to go!), a £5.4m contest has been launched, 'Artists Taking the Lead', to create 12 public works of art inspired by the 2012 Olympics. If you're artistically inclined you could be in line for up to £500,000 to create a piece for the Cultural Olympiad in the run-up to the London games. Described by the London 2012 organisers as, "the most ambitious and wide-ranging art prize in the UK", it's certainly a welcome cash injection to add a dash of art, culture and colour to the muscles and grunts of the sporting event.

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