Arnold Wesker, 1933-2016, RIP

[Stanley Stewart]

Quite stricken to hear of the death of Arnold Wesker this morning, aged 83, - a couple of years younger than myself. This is particularly relevant as the early years of my life coincide with his rise to prominence with his realistic celebration of working- class life at a time when middle-class theatre was in a state of flux. I made frequent visits to London in the 50s and note that our two years of national service, in the early 50s, crossed over. I settled 'in town' in the late 50s and recall seeing his first success at the Royal Court Theatre with "Roots" and the arrival of a great actress, Joan Plowright, as Beatie Bryant, a vibrant feminine prototype. The Wesker Trilogy was also staged at the 'Court' with the addition of Chicken Soup with Barley and I'm Talking About Jerusalem but the addition of "The Kitchen" in 1961 and "Chips with Everything" in '62, sealed his reputation, as well as the careers of Frank Finlay and Corin Redgrave. The choreography in both productions astonished audiences alongside Wesker's gift for narrative and sharp observation. Who can forget Sarah Kahn's passionate berating her son, Ronnie - the Wesker prototype in "Chicken Soup with Barley", concluding, "If you don't care you'll die" and I still recall the frisson in the auditorium at that moment. Indeed, there was much bickering and squabbling in the play. They don't argue about a way of earning, or a way of spending, or a way of making love. They are arguing about a way of life.

I also recall playing the role of Prince Silver in a rep
production but always made a point of standing in the wings each night to watch the closing scene.

Arnold Wesker's preface starts with a telling point:

"I'm not very good at being old. Some people are like that;
only a certain period in their life suits them. Some are lovely
children and rotten adults. Me, I was good at being young..."

Boomy from The Old ones

I've taken my copy of Sir Arnold's autobiography, 'As Much As I Dare' (1994) off the shelves to jog my memory as I recall many backstage visits to the 'Court' in subsequent years, although I had to wait until late 1969 for my first break there with Lindsay Anderson, shortly after David Storey's "The Contractor", transferred to the West End.

RIP Arnold Wesker - and thank you

[french frank]

With all the excitement of the Proms, I overlooked this piece of news. Such richness in the British theatre at that time: it seems like a Golden Age, and Wesker one of the stars. I much enjoyed this, on Radio 3 in 2008.

[Conchis]

Arnold Wesker is Dead

Can't see another thread on this, but it's now old news.

I don't think his work has worn particularly well, although some of it continues to be revived (Roots received a very successful production at the Donmar a couple of years back and The Kitchen at the NT in 2011 received a production which I thought was better than the play).

Like Trevor Griffiths (whom I'd consider a vastly superior talent), he was a vicimc of the decline of left-wing politics in the UK.

Any opinions?

[Serial_Apologist]

Like Trevor Griffiths (whom I'd consider a vastly superior talent), he was a vicimc of the decline of left-wing politics in the UK.

Any opinions?

Well Jeremy Corbyn's popular reception might suggest a reversal in that decline. Whether that turns out to be temporary or not depends more on a bit of frank self-examination on the left's part (and I have included myself in that process, assuming it to be going on) - in precisely the way the political right did in the 1970s, leading to the continuing success of affluenza and the Reagonomics model of civilisation as the rich and powerful proceeded to secret their ill-gotten gains away in property and tax havens as fast as their media friends were persuading the poor to blame the poor and nobody in the political establishments seems to have a clue what to do about it.

[aeolium]

I'm afraid I never found his work interesting or thought-provoking enough, though I couldn't quite put my finger on why. Perhaps it was just that the work of some of his contemporaries - particularly, for me, Beckett, Stoppard and Frayn (and earlier in radio drama, Giles Cooper and David Mercer) made a much greater impact. Still, I agree with ff that it was a great age for contemporary writing for theatre and radio, and Wesker was a significant individual voice within that period.