People

Essex alumnus at National Theatre

A new play by Essex graduate Nick Dear is to open at London's National Theatre this summer. Nick graduated with a degree in Comparative European Literature in 1977 and has forged a successful career as a playwright.

Nick Dear

Nick's many theatre credits include The Art of Success - a portrait of the artist William Hogarth - at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), for which he won the John Whiting Award. His screenplays include Cinderella, The Turn of the Screw, The Gambler, and Persuasion.  He has written libretti for two operas and has recently returned from Malta where his screenplay Byron has been filmed for the BBC.

His new play, Power, opens at the National Theatre on 27 June. Here Nick recalls his time at Essex and how he went on to become a renowned playwright.

'I didn't have any interest in theatre when I came to Essex. I was supposed to be studying government and sociology which are of course incomprehensible so I had to do something else. Luckily I saw a poster advertising auditions for Macbeth. I went along and got the part of the Second Murderer. I like to think I stole the show, despite having the now-distinguished actress Jane Maud as Lady Macbeth, and from that moment I was hooked. It had absolutely nothing to do with the drink, sex, or first-night parties!

'I'd always been told I was 'good at English.' This was the mid-1970s; the idea that we had to know what we wanted to do with our lives hadn't entered anyone's head. I didn't know I liked theatre; I remain grateful to Essex for giving me the chance to find out.

'My first performed play was staged at the University's Lakeside Theatre. It was called The Perfect Alibi and it concerned corruption in the police force. It was a student production, directed by yet another now-distinguished actor, Paul Brightwell, my partner-in-crime at Essex.

'The poet Douglas Oliver was my tutor and his distrust of ideology has stayed with me. Carey Harrison introduced me to the great Europeans, Chekhov and Ibsen. Peter Wollen's courses in early cinema were influential, though the films I write now are probably an anathema to him. At that time there was no undergraduate course in drama, which I think was a good thing. I think writing plays and films is something you learn by experience, I don't really believe it can be taught. The University allowed me to write a play instead of my 'extended essay' at the end of my second year. That was my first, which thankfully remains unperformed!

'Years of struggling followed. My breakthrough play at the RSC came when I was 30. However, I had plenty of contemporaries who had early success, only to disappear - so I don't complain. For me the one definition of success that counts is that I'm still doing what I want to be doing.

'As I think Fay Weldon said, 'I don't like writing, I like to have written.' Writing's awful, lonely and tedious. But I've made my living at it for over twenty years and I'm incapable of doing anything else now.

'My main aim is to still be at it for another 20 years. We've just completed shooting Byron in the UK and Malta. Jonny Lee Miller stars as the loveable poet, along with Vanessa Redgrave and a host of others. All being well we'll see it on BBC2 this autumn.'

Power will be staged at the Cottesloe Theatre, National Theatre, London, from 27 June to 5 July. In Nick's words 'it is a play about a struggle for supremacy in the early days of the reign of Louis XIV.' For more information and/or tickets please contact the National Theatre, telephone 020 7452 3000 or visit the website www.nt-online.org.

Marathon efforts

PhD student Louise Duckling from the Department of Literature was among several runners from the University taking part in the London Marathon in April.

Despite a re-emergence of a knee injury at the halfway mark and her feet exploding with blisters, Louise was determined to enjoy her marathon debut and with fantastic crowd support worked her way to the finish line in 5hours 26minutes. 

Louise Duckling is congratulated by her 
partner Philip Marks at the finish line

Louise said: 'It was a fantastic experience, and I would definitely do it again. The marathon has provided a great opportunity to raise money for a good cause, and I wanted to support a charity relevant to academic life at university.' 

So far, Louise has raised more than £1,200 for the Snowdon Award Scheme. The Scheme provides bursaries to physically disabled people to help them in further and higher education, and training.

It gives many physically disabled students the opportunity to continue their education by providing grants to cover a wide range of essential study needs, including special wheelchairs, computers and interpreters for the hard of hearing.

Louise explained: 'I decided to run for the charity as I have a friend in the Law department who has benefited from a Snowdon Award. They are very supportive, and always in need of extra funds.' 

To find out more about Louise's marathon experience and the Snowdon Award Scheme, you can visit her web page at www.justgiving.com/louiseduckling

Food on 3 chef Keith Parkes was also hampered by injury, and had to stop training four weeks before the marathon after sustaining a calf injury in the Silverstone half marathon.

Despite this setback, and a bout of flu in the week before the race, Keith managed a time of 4hrs 13min. He is still collecting sponsorship money, but hopes to have raised more than £700 for the Children Nationwide charity.

He is now planning to take part in the Great North Run in September and the New York marathon in November.

Another University runner, Dr Massimo Poesio from the Department of Computer Science, completed his first London Marathon, in a time of 4hrs 18min.

Also in the printed June edition of Wyvern:

• Law mooting success
• Sociological president
• Pulse festival showcases Essex talent