Tinkle, drizzle, bubble and gush! Alex Ramon, the man forever Boycotting Trends takes up the 10 questions challenge
My world, and the UK theatre blogging scene, has been all the poorer since Alex Ramon swapped London for Łódź. We first bonded over Avenue Q, he introduced me to Propeller and encouraged me out to Richmond more times than is probably reasonable – there’s no-one I’d rather share a show and a Wetherspoons curry with. It is well worth keeping an eye on his ever-eloquent writing at Boycotting Trends.
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Where were you 10 years ago?
Twickenham or thereabouts. Teaching a lot, starting to blog more and more, and wondering if I should set up a Twitter account. (Hmm…)
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Best show you’ve seen in the last 10 years?
The Light Princess at the National Theatre. Grief and gaiety, spine-tinglingly gorgeous and intricate songs, and a magnificent cast, with Rosalie Craig transforming from truculent teen to victimised bride-to-be, ardent lover to dragon-slaying warrior. “Better than good,” this show changed me, and I still miss it.
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What has been your professional highlight of the last 10 years?
In terms of theatre and film, I’ve really loved interviewing actors, writers and directors about their work, including Samuel Adamson, Mark Umbers, Joseph Mydell, François Ozon, and Agnieszka Holland.
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Top flavour of interval ice-cream?
“Then there was a good bit where it all sort of stopped and I had an ice cream.” (Victoria Wood) Chocolate.
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What show do you wish theatres would give a rest for a few years?
Apparently it’s still giving pleasure to a lot of people but I’d be happy to see the back of The Woman in Black (so to speak).
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Name someone who you think is a really underappreciated talent (in the world of theatre)?
Sinéad Matthews. Been saying this for a while, but someone revive Beth Henley’s The Miss Firecracker Contest for her soon, please.
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Elphaba or Glinda?
Elphaba all the way.
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What is one thing that you think would help theatre survive and/or thrive the next ten years?
A lot of the conversation in recent years has been about making the Artistic Directors of theatres a more diverse bunch. That’s important, of course, but, regardless of who’s in charge, something I’d really like to see, alongside a commitment to new writing, is a riskier, quirkier range of revivals that remind us of some of the weird and radical plays in our past that have things to say to us today.
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Which is your favourite theatre?
Haven’t been for a while, but for sentimental reasons: Donmar Warehouse. These days, living in Poland, it’s Jaracz Theatre, Łódź (especially Scena Kameralna).
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Can you say anything about what’s to come for you, (in the next ten years or otherwise)?
If only. 🙂 Publishing a couple of books, I hope.
