Dramatic Exchanges: The Lives and Letters of the National Theatre

by Daniel Rosenthal (Editor), Helen Mirren (Foreword)

There has been always as much drama offstage as on at the National Theatre, and much of it is to be found in the letters, telegrams, scribbled notes and colourful postcards of its main players.

- What drove Laurence Olivier to confess: 'The foolishness of my position starts to obsess me'?
- Why did Maggie Smith write: 'I am absolutely heartbroken by your decision'?
- What prompted Judi Dench to ask: 'Can't you write me a musical so that I can sit on a chair in a fur hat & nothing else and sing RUDE songs?'

This book brings together for the first time some of the most inspiring, dramatic and amusing letters from the life of Britain's most beloved theatre: Laurence Olivier's gracious rejection letters, Peter Hall's combative memos, Helen Mirren's impassioned defence of theatrical innovation, fantastical good luck missives and long conspiratorial letters. Together, they reveal the stories behind some of the most lavish, triumphant, daring and disastrous productions in the theatre's history, including Amadeus, Romans in Britain, Laurence Olivier's Othello, Closer, The History Boys and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

A rich collection of correspondence like no other, this book offers a fascinating and celebratory look at the world of theatre and beyond.

Genres: Theatre, Nonfiction, History

416 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2018

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A companion piece to Rosenthal’s National Theatre Story, Dramatic Exchanges is an intimate look at the directors, writers, actors, designers and others who have made England’s National Theatre arguably the most important theatre in the world. Rosenthal uses his access to present the letters, emails, opening night cards and other correspondence between the artists at the center of the theatre. Tracing the theatre’s history from its 1963 founding at the Old Vic under Laurence Olivier’s leadership to its staggered move to the South Bank under Peter Hall and its subsequent Directors (Richard Eyre, Trevor Nunn, Nicholas Hytner and Rufus Norris), the book is an intimate portrait of the artists who make the theatre thrive. If there is a weakness to the book, it’s more a cultural fault than Rosenthal’s. The purple prose letter writing of Olivier gives way to faxes to Richard Eyre and finally to Rufus Norris excitedly dropping f-bombs in emails. We aren’t a letter writing culture any more and Dramatic Exchanges bears witness to this.

There are curious omissions in the book: Very little is mentioned about Peter Hall’s Diaries and the fallout from their publication, especially the damage it did to his relationship with Harold Pinter. The tensions between Declan Donnellan and Tony Kushner during Angels in America do not appear. The artistic heart of Richard Eyre’s Diaries is his relationship with his NT house playwright David Hare but the correspondence between the two of them in this book are a bit perfunctory. Perhaps the most heartfelt letter in the book is from playwright Michael Frayn to Michael Codron following the critical evisceration of his play Afterlife. “I think I had probably retired in any case, but it would have been nice to have walked out of the building with a clock under my arm rather than being hurried out by the security staff.”

It is a compelling read that lacks a true conclusion because the story of the National Theatre — and the artists who make it run — continue on to the next new season, the next new play, the next new musical.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is fascinating book of letters between actors, playwrights, directors, agents, critics etc which demonstrates the power politics at play as well as the massaging of egos with the inevitable cycle of triumphs and failures even though sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to it. It is especially interesting reading about the beginnings of plays when the playwrights are often anxious and full of self doubt about whether what they’ve written is any good or not. Even Richard Bean who had such a hit with One Man, Two Governors had a rare failure whilst attempting to adapt The Count of Monte Cristo.

[Emma Dargue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of a continuation of the National Theatre Story which I read earlier this year and which I really enjoyed. This book supplemented that book by using a similar timeline style of flow using the NT directors as chapter headings with individual correspondence from all of the National Theatre from Olivier to Rufus Norris and involves actors and backstage staff eg designers directors, playwrights of national and international renown such as Peggy Ashcroft, Alec Guinness, Eileen Atkins and Judi Dench at various times in their career and gives a real backstage feel to this national institution. Just great

[Jeff Howells · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasure trove of memos, letters, postcards and emails charting the history of the National Theatre, from an idea at the turn of the 20th Century, through its birth at the Old Vic in the 60s with Laurence Olivier as its midwife, onto its arrival in the brutalist masterpiece on the Southbank under Peter Hall right up to the current day under the latest Artistic Director - Rufus Norris.
Whilst, inevitably, some of the correspondence lapses into cliched ‘luvviedom’ (especially from the great actors of previous generations), the book really is the best insight into the creativity of the theatrical world I’ve read in years.

[Kexx · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stunningly disappointing - I was really hoping for some interesting, meaningful observations but - and isn't this always the way - they are just human after all. Even the shows I've seen - and there are plenty here - nothing really stuck out - Carol Anne Duffy perhaps - but that was it. Often sour, always repetitive, I was looking for joy, no doubt my mistake.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable way to discover the story of the National Theatre. As with anything like this there are some sections that are more interesting than others, and there isn't a huge amount in there from 2003 onwards (I suppose it's a lot easier to archive a written letter than an email, or a text).

[Catherine Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic collection of letters and other correspondence about and by some of the most pivotal artists in theatre. It has taken me a while as it is best dipped in and out of but a fantastic interesting work.