Famous People I've Sat by at a Concert

[Mr Pee]

We really should have an "I have peed with xxxx" thread, but that would be unfair on the girls.

Mr Pee,
Were you in the WSYO in the days when their chief conductor was Jean Pougnet (Mr PUGNETT as he was affectionately known) ?

No, in my time the conductor was Peter Turton.

I'll second the Happy Birthday to Gervase De Peyer. One of the first LPs I bought was his recording of the Brahms Sonatas with Barenboim.

[bach736]

If I have unknowingly sat next to any of you at a concert, then I apologise for not saying hello.

[Stillhomewardbound]

I've sat on a sofa with Elisabeth Welsh ('Love For Sale') and a rather squiffy Beryl Bainbridge. Been introduced to Alan Jay Lerner and his last wife, Liz Robertson. Chatted also with the wonderful Adelaide Hall while also meeting Billy Eckstine and Lionel Hampton.

In the 1950s my pa was presented to President Nehru at the Queen's Theatre by a most inebriate President Sean T. O'Kelly of Ireland. 'Pandit ... Pandit!', he called across the ante-room, 'Come and meet me old baccy, TP!'

In 1976 he was playing with the RSC and at a first night Mia Farrow walked into the dressiing room and crossed over to give my father a big kiss while all the other guests in the room seemed to mime like a shoal of hungry fish ... 'that's Mia Farrow'. Andre Previn meanwhile lingered on the landing with one of their babies.

My sister was dresser for Albert Finney during a spell in the West End in the 1980s and would also help entertain his post-show visitors. He had a weekly delivery of a crate of Dom Perignon to the stage door and it was needed for his callers included the likes of Liza Minelli, Gene Kelly, Princess Margaret and Deborah Kerr.

[salymap]

Wow, SHB, your family has seen life, lovely stories. I sat with Constance Cummings in the RAH stalls when she was rehearsing the speaking part of 'Joan of Arc at the Stake' by Honneger. I don't remember that we spoke

[Chris Newman]

Stillhomewardbound,
Your mention of (a) the word "squiffy" and (b) Albert Finney reminds me of a snowy Boxing Day which didn't count as a White Christmas though. I cannot call this sticking to the thread but it boosts my name-dropping ratings.

My father had a house (formerly a gate-house) in a private park in West Sussex. After visiting friends and demolishing a second Christmas Lunch my father and I decided to walk off the excess punch in the snow. Who should we meet but the guests of our nearest neighbour LE (a prominent theatrical agent who owned the "big house", Chesworth House, set within the park (formerly the home of Queen Catherine Howard)? The guests were Albert Finney and Kenneth More. They were both completely lost in every sense of the word as we were about half a mile from Chesworth at the other end of the drive and they were falling over each other.

"I have losht my wife" complained KM as we carried them back to Chesworth. My father supported KM and I held up AF.

"Ditto, my friend" lamented AF.

"But...I have found you, Berty."

"Yesh," burbled AF "and our good friendsh here have found ush. Thank you, good friendsh. Kenny is a bit squiffy."

Names exchanged and mostly forgotten we helped them back to LE's house where the drive in front was littered with snow-covered cars including a couple of Rolls, a Bentley and some Jaguars. My father and I were sweating like navvies and we were dragged in for drinks (which eventually meant my sister had to collect us in her car). The miscreants' wives had merely walked back leaving them to stagger down the drive: at some point they had gone in the wrong direction. AF's wife, Anouk Aimee, and KM's, Angela Douglas, were talking to Joan Plowright and ignoring the men who immediately collapsed into a deep sofa and proceeded to join the snores of Sir Laurence Olivier, who was fast asleep in an armchair. I did get to talk to the ladies.

Interestingly enough, the day after, Sir Larry and "the boys" called next door and thanked my parents. Later, my mother gave me Sir Larry's autograph which he she got in a charity auction. I wish that I could have spoken with a sober AF. I did enjoy him in John Osborne's "Luther" years before.

[salymap]

SHB and Chris, Wow, how can anyone compete with your interesting 'revelations'? Between the two of you you have met everyone

[Paul Sherratt]

I once lay down in a field next to Helen Mirren ...

[Richard Tarleton]

Inspired by the 'Composers I Have Met' thread, here's one for those occasions when you've turned up at a concert to find yourself seated next to a famous face.

Former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe came and sat next to me at a Concertgebouw/Chailly Mahler 1 in 1995. A newspaper article that very week declared that he no longer appeared in public but there he was.

My favourite wholly unexpected companion in the concert hall was Bernard Levin at a 1983 VPO Webern/Schubert 9 Barbican performance.

Snap! I found myself sitting next to Jeremy Thorpe (Marion sitting just the other side of him) at Snape Maltings. By this stage he seemed to be quite ill. I respected his anonymity. I was at the concert (Mozart PCs with Perahia/ECO) with my concert-going aunt and a friend of hers who had two seats nearer the front. The friend was so agog she insisted on changing seats with me in the interval. What JT would have made of this goodness only knows.

Very close but not quite next to Mia Farrow, at a Previn/LSO concert. John Williams played the Rodrigo, and came and sat next to Mia for part 2.

Covent Garden - I found myself in the gents at different times alongside Bernard Levin and the great Bishop Trevor Huddlestone. I've sat at the next table in the Crush Bar to Vanessa Redgrave and Kenneth MacMillan, and 70's supermodel Hannerle Dehn.

[MickyD]

oh how the mighty have fallen. When did the conducting gigs dry up?

That'll teach me to write my sentences more coherently!

[Stillhomewardbound]

<<SHB and Chris, Wow, how can anyone compete with your interesting 'revelations'? Between the two of you you have met everyone>>

Not really, Salymap. I just manage to make a little go a long way ... Having said that I'm pleased to repeat that I was at a party where a joint was being passed around. When it came around to me the very amiable gent passing it was Peter Cook. I was only fifteen at the time so politely declined but I did end up having a very good chat with him about his and Dud's Ad Nauseum album, of which I was and still am a fan.

John Williams was at that party also (seems to get around everywhere), which followed a Mencap benefit at the Roundhouse, and earlier I had been introduced to Spike Milligan who was in very dour form. I think I was more interested in meeting his pianist, the lovely Alan Clare.

[scottycelt]

If I have unknowingly sat next to any of you at a concert, then I apologise for not saying hello.

No, no, no ... it's quite all right, honestly ... as Lee Marvin 'sang', hell is in hello .. especially at a concert.

[Pianorak]

. . . I wish that I could have spoken with a sober AF. I did enjoy him in John Osborne's "Luther" years before.

I too saw AF in "Luther" as well as in his first West End play "The Party" with Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester. Managed to get Charles Laughton's autograph but didn't bother with Albert Finney.

[gradus]

Queued next to Dustin Hoffmann for a coffee at an NT Guys and Dolls performance. I asked for his autograph which he charmingly gave, unfortunately for him it encouraged everyone else to ask.

[Mr Pee]

I just thought it's worth reviving this thread to mention that Sir Ian McKellen made me a very nice cup of tea this afternoon. White, with one sugar.

[Mandryka]

Ian McKellen once put his arm round me. I'd rather he'd made me a cup of tea.

Sat in front of Michael Palin for a performance of Turn Of The Screw at Wilton's Music Hall.

Sat behind Patrick Stewart and Lisa Harrow at the Swan Theatre in Stratford: Stewart was being very bitchy.

Sat behind Harold Pinter and Lady Antonia at Covent Garden for The Greek Passion: Pinter was extremely small, as I recall and Lady Antonia looked....old.

Sat behind John Hurt at a performance of Entertaining Mr. Sloane at Trafalgar Studios.

Janet Henfrey once gave me an extremely filthy look when I spotted her in the audience of a performance at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester.

Have encountered Honor Blackman, Kate O'Mara and Phil Cool (the impressionist) backstage.

Oh - and I once walked into a famous American songwriter's dressing room while he was engaged in coition with his manager. The persons in question shall remain nameless.