Must You Go_ - Antonia Fraser [43]
And one of the inmates
The sad and desperate inmates
Said: ‘I am David Gascoyne’
8 October
Flew to Dublin for the production of Close of Play which has been a bone of contention with the actors of the National Theatre (an official British institution), because of the security risk following the Mountbatten death and surrounding carnage. Despite heroic work by the Pope recently touring round Phoenix Park in his popemobile, urging ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ One of the actors discovered that there was no legal necessity to tour in a foreign country – Ireland – as not contracted to do so. Some of the stauncher actors, including Michael Gambon, metaphorically shrugged their shoulders like troops going over the top and said: ‘Oh well, count me in, I suppose.’ Other parts had to be re-recruited. We stayed at the brand-new Bloom’s Hotel, every modern luxury, the smart European Ireland that is evolving, Anna Livia Plurabelle Restaurant, Boylan’s Brasserie, etc. Harold: ‘What would Joyce have thought of all this? Blind and poor.’ Me, reminding him: ‘But when I cried on Bloomsday, finishing Ellmann’s life, you said, “He knew he was a great artist and nothing else matters.” ’
In fact security at the Olympia Theatre is negligible, and no one is searched, although my brother Thomas is carrying an enormous, obviously weighty bag. In Close of Play Dubliners love the readily identifiable character of Benedict – an alcoholic but a witty one, played by the superb, urbane John Standing.
10 October
Dublin. Harold’s forty-ninth birthday. I brought over an edition of East Coker specially designed by Julian Rothenstein. Harold loved it.
15 November
In New York for rehearsals of Betrayal, once again directed by Peter Hall, this time with Blythe Danner, Roy Scheider and Raul Julia, who tells me he has been over to London and patrolled Westminster Abbey to acquire the correct English accent. Don’t dare tell him that he is more likely to have acquired an Australian or even a Japanese accent in the Abbey … Harold tells me afterwards that at dinner with Peter Hall he looked across to me and thought: ‘You have given me a sense of the present, the happiness of the present. I’ve never had that before.’
I give an interview focused on the re-named Royal Charles to the Washington Post. Man, hopefully, at the end: ‘Just one more question, what is Harold Pinter like about the house, all those pauses and enigmatic statements, I’ve always wondered.’ Me, briskly: ‘Keep wondering.’
17 November
Harold outraged about the Anthony Blunt affair. (Blunt, despite his background as a spy for Russia, had been deliberately left in position as Keeper of the Queen’s Pictures.) I think he has the sense of a cover-up by the Establishment, which is the more acute because he has never remotely belonged to it – or wished to. I am fascinated by other things such as how did the poor Queen conduct her conversations with Blunt?
1 December
Back in London. Day of winter gardening (planting bulbs, my favourite activity). Diana Phipps has created a fantastic world for Harold in his new Super-Study out of the really poor material of the original house. I love the way there is now a great deal of purposeful movement between the two houses, all of it through my garden.
2 December
Society of West End Theatre Managers’ Awards (later the Oliviers). Had to arrive by 6 p.m. Interminable. Harold mellow however and got mellower as the drink flowed down the hours. There was really nothing else to do until 1 a.m. when ‘Carriages’ were to be called. He was stunned when Sir Ralph Richardson went on to the platform, waved the envelope and said, sonorously: ‘A prize for an old friend of mine!’ It was for Betrayal as Best New Play. Harold wove his way with difficulty to the platform and said: ‘I’m very surprised, but not as surprised, I’m sure, as Michael Billington.’ (Evidently not forgiven for his stinking review of Betrayal.) Nobody could understand what he meant. Billington looked completely bewildered. ‘Why me? What did I do?’ Harold meanwhile, minus