The Stage

Colgan condemns Pinter snub

Published Wednesday 23 November 2005 at 11:10 by Alistair Smith

Artistic director of Dublin’s Gate Theatre Michael Colgan has criticised the lack of London celebrations for Harold Pinter’s 75th birthday year.

Colgan has organised a reading of the playwright’s Celebration by leading British actors at the Albery Theatre for three nights from December 1, which Pinter will attend en route to picking up his Nobel Prize in Stockholm.

Colgan told The Stage: “I was surprised no one was doing anything in England and I thought: ‘Well, he’s going over to Stockholm to get the prize, it’s important to have something going on’. I said ‘Do you think it’d be a good idea?’ and he [Pinter] said yes.”

Michael Gambon, Jeremy Irons, Sinead Cusack, Charles Dance, Penelope Wilton, Janie Dee, Stephen Rea and Kenneth Cranham will all take part in the reading.

• Dan Crawford, the late King’s Head Theatre founder, was remembered with a new award presented in his name to the Finborough Theatre at this year’s Empty Space… Peter Brook Awards.

The prize of £2,000, which recognises high-quality programming in a pub theatre, was given to the west London venue by Nica Burns and Crawford’s widow Stephanie.

Meanwhile Notting Hill’s Gate Theatre received the Empty Space… Peter Brook Award of £2,000, while runner up The Menier Chocolate Factory picked up £1,500. The Mark Marvin Rent Subsidy Award of £1,500, for companies looking to present work in fringe theatres, was collected by The Union Theatre and Adverse Camber Company for their intended production of 412 Letters by Matthew Wilke.