Artistic director of Theatre Royal Margate Will Wollen plans an exciting night in…
The first thing I’d say about my dinner party is that it’s going to need quite a bit of good red wine to get things warmed up – maybe even a gin cocktail first – not everyone’s met everyone else so I want to get over that awkward bit as soon as possible.
The first person on the list, after my wife, of course, is playwright Samuel Beckett. He’s the whole reason I got into theatre so I’ll want to thank him, and cooking him a meal is probably a good way to do it. He won’t fail to like my walnut tart – it’s a classic.
Next up is another writer, Gertrude Stein. It’s not that I particularly love her writing, it’s more that I’ve always reckoned we’d get on and she knew loads of the artists that didn’t quite make the list. As she lived most of her life in Paris, I’m hoping she’ll bring a good bottle or two of something.
Another person who’s influenced my life on a nearly daily basis is food writer Elizabeth David. When I’m not cooking from her books I’m reading them and I’m hoping that if I keep it simple she’ll really enjoy the chicken I’m going to be cooking French-style in the pot and I’ll get some great goat’s cheese to have with a green salad afterwards
Yves Montand, the French crooner and actor, will be there. Obviously I’m hoping he’ll sing at some stage and if he doesn’t it won’t matter because I think he’ll be quite fun – a good storyteller.
Bertolt Brecht is essential, another theatre hero, and secretly I’m hoping he might get a bit drunk and pull out a guitar and if he doesn’t then actress and singer Juliette Lewis might. I think she’s great – and between her and Yves they’ll make it a very good-looking evening.
Just to make it clear – everyone will be encouraged to bring along their partners and I’m definitely having some friends along too.
The dinner will happen outside on a longish trestle table on a fine summer’s evening and I’m expecting that the party will still be going at four in the morning, when I’ll bring out some reviving onion soup. Given that most of my special guests will have to be brought back from the dead, I’d like to stipulate that when they arrive for dinner they should all be in their thirties. I’m looking forward to it!
Theatre Royal Margate season includes After Miss Julie, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Lilies on the Land and Hamlet. Check out www.theatreroyalmargate.com
Name: Will Wollen
Age: 36
Born in Pembury, Kent, brought up in Dorset
Occupation: Actor, Director
Career path: Bedales School, University of Leeds, Acting Company, Freelance Actor and Director, founded Daddy Theatre in 1999, Associate Director CreACTive 2001, Assistant Outreach Director Watermill Theatre, Artistic Director Theatre Royal Margate since 2007
Image by Phil Hough