The Stage

Chit chat - Vicious Circle?

Published Tuesday 17 March 2009 at 12:00 by Tabard

Meanwhile, the silver-tongued Walker has also been working his charms on the fine denizens of the Critics’ Circle.

In his recent review of Berlin Hanover Express at the Hampstead, he goes to great lengths (in fact almost a third of his review) to explain why he doesn’t wish to accept an invitation to join the Circle. What was it Groucho Marx said about clubs?

Anyway, according to Walker, “The invitation from a group of individuals who have often chastised me in their columns and on their websites for being ‘out of step’ - which means, presumably, that I write for you rather than for them or the theatrical Establishment - was as surprising as it was flattering. Yet I couldn’t help but think that it was an honour that came with a price attached: an expectation that I would mind my Ps and Qs and generally become a bit more clubbable…”

He then turns briefly to reviewing the play, before concluding, “By the way, I have decided to decline the invitation to join the Critics’ Circle… The collective noun is more normally applied to witches, knitters and spies, after all.”

And friends, Mr Walker, you forgot friends.

In any case, the Critics’ Circle doesn’t seem too bothered about missing out on the addition of Walker’s expertise to its ranks.

Ian Shuttleworth, secretary of the drama section of the Circle told Tabard: “A lot of people seem to have bizarre and fantastical ideas about what membership of the Critics’ Circle involves, but usually they’re paranoid stage-folk - a paranoid critic is rather a novelty.”

« Read the first part of this week’s column