Ring Around the Moon

Ring Around the Moon by Jean Anouilh (1910-1937), Globe Theatre, London, England, 1950, photograph by Houston Rogers

This picture is from the first London production of Ring Around the Moon at the old Globe Theatre in 1950, starring Paul Scofield playing a dual role as twin brothers and Claire Bloom as a poor ballet dancer, Isabelle. This is an unusually romantic fairy tale for this generally pessimistic dramatist.

The production was also notable for the star names involved in its production. The set and costumes were designed by Oliver Messel and it was produced by Peter Brook, while Margaret Rutherford, who later went on to play in the film versions of Miss Marple, played the old wheelchair-bound aristocrat. Mona Washbourne played Isabelle's mother.

The critics regarded this as a lightweight play, closer to a masque or variety entertainment, since the plot was paper-thin and conventionally romantic, and the songs gave the whole production the air of an Ivor Novello production rather than a French comedy.

No Man's Land by Harold Pinter

No Man's Land by Harold Pinter (1930-2008), directed by Peter Hall, Old Vic Theatre, London, England, 1975

Harold Pinter always avoided giving 'explanations' of his often ambiguous plays. As he said, 'I can sum up none of my plays. I can describe none of them, except to say: That is what happened. That is what they said. That is what they did'. The action of No Man's Land is simple: a shabby stranger is invited into a Hampstead writer's home. From there, Pinter examines the themes which recur throughout his work the fallibility of memory, the co-existence in one man of brute strength and sensitivity, the ultimate unknowability of women, the invasion of territory.

After its 1975 Old Vic premiere, it was for some time one of Pinter's least revived plays, although regarded as one of his masterpieces. This may have been due to the daunting thought of following in the footsteps of the amazing first cast which included two theatrical giants. John Gielgud (left) as Spooner, the beer-stained invader, was 'superbly sly, mellifluous and ingratiating', and Ralph Richardson played the writer, Hirst, with 'precisely that other-worldliness that makes this actor such a magician' (reviews from The Guardian).

Waiting for Godot, 1997

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (1906-1989), Alan Howard as Vladimir and Ben Kingsley as Estragon, directed by Peter Hall, Old Vic Theatre, London, England, 1997

Waiting for Godot, the play in which 'nothing happens - twice' is now recognised as a major influence on post war drama. 'It was about two tramps waiting nowhere in particular for someone who never shows up.' The two tramps (Vladimir and Estragon) are waiting for someone called 'Godot' although they are vague as to why, who he is, and whether he will come. While waiting, they must somehow fill in the time. Author Samuel Beckett refused to explain the piece, but the wait can be seen as a metaphor for life, and our need to give it meaning and purpose.

When Peter Hall had staged the British premiere in 1955, the play's avoidance of a clear linear plot, or any attempt at realism, caused consternation among the critics. While a few recognised its brilliance, many saw no literary merit in the form of the piece. 'His work … holds the stage most wittily, but is it a play?' said one. Audiences were also divided, and 'Godot' became a hot topic in the media. Now the play is recognised as probably the single most influential work of the 20th century, which inspired future writers such as Harold Pinter, Joe Orton, Edward Bond and Tom Stoppard to name a few.

Ring Around the Moon by Jean Anouilh

Ring Around the Moon by Jean Anouilh (1910-1937), Globe Theatre, London, England, 1950, photograph by Houston Rogers

Isabelle, a poor ballet dancer, is hired by Hugo to appear at a great ball in an aristocratic country house to end his twin brother Frederic's infatuation with another woman. Here, Claire Bloom is Isabelle while Paul Scofield played the dual role as the twin brothers. In true Cinderella style, Isabelle triumphs over her patron and succeeds in making her appearance a success and also having both men fall in love with her.

The production was also notable for other star names, since the set and costumes were designed by Oliver Messel and it was produced by Peter Brook. Margaret Rutherford, who later went on to play in the film versions of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple stories, played the old wheelchair-bound aristocrat and Mona Washbourne played Isabelle's mother.

The critics regarded this as a lightweight play, closer to masque or variety. The plot was paper-thin and conventionally romantic while the songs gave the whole production the air of an Ivor Novello production rather than a French comedy.

Waiting for Godot, 2005

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (1906-1989), Peter Hall Company, Theatre Royal Bath, England, 2005

Cast: James Laurenson (Vladimir), Alan Dobie (Estragon), Richard Dormer (Lucky) and Terence Rigby (Pozzo)

Waiting for Godot, the play in which 'nothing happens - twice' is now recognised as a major influence on post war drama. 'It was about two tramps waiting nowhere in particular for someone who never shows up.' The two tramps (Vladimir and Estragon) are waiting for someone called 'Godot' although they are vague as to why, who he is, and whether he will come. While waiting, they must somehow fill in the time. Author Samuel Beckett refused to explain the piece, but the wait can be seen as a metaphor for life, and our need to give it meaning and purpose.

When Peter Hall had staged the British premiere in 1955, the play's avoidance of a clear linear plot, or any attempt at realism, caused consternation among the critics. While a few recognised its brilliance, many saw no literary merit in the form of the piece. 'His work … holds the stage most wittily, but is it a play?' said one. Audiences were also divided, and 'Godot' became a hot topic in the media. Now the play is recognised as probably the single most influential work of the 20th century, which inspired future writers such as Harold Pinter, Joe Orton, Edward Bond and Tom Stoppard to name a few.

La Calisto, 1970

La Calisto by Francesco Cavalli (1602-1676), Glyndebourne, England, 1970

This photograph shows Janet Baker and James Bowman in Peter Hall's 1970 Glyndebourne production of Francesco Cavalli's La Calisto (literally 'a little satyr').

First produced in 1561, it has a typical Venetian opera plot of the period, where the gods fall in love with humans and come to earth in disguise with all the resulting confusions and identity crises.

Peter Hall and his designer John Bury wanted to make the Baroque stage live again, but using modern methods and materials. They caught what one critic described as 'the spirit of baroque wonder and extravagance' involving real stage machines and cunning transformations, worked by the age old system of men, ropes and counterweights. Raymond Leppard's version of Cavalli's score and Hall's enchanting production helped build new audiences for the lesser known early operas and thus widen the standard operatic repertory.