The David Tennant Theatre Archive

ONE MAN IN HIS TIME PLAYS MANY PARTS

DAVID TALKS ABOUT HIS STAGE DEBUT

Excerpt from The Independent - January 24, 2002:

David gave a graphic account of the evening's performance:
 
According to him the performance was an absolute disaster - they never finished the tech rehersal and never even attempted to have a dress rehersal!  They had only 6 actors

The roles were divided between the cast "with the help of a few wigs and fake noses." "It was utter chaos on stage as we struggled past the point at which we ended the tech run."

"I remember thinking at one point: This is my professional debut and it is falling apart." 

"We might have managed if the production not been so complicated. But we were a group of traveling players who unpacked and made themselves up on stage so, of course, everyone was changing, swapping props, losing props and mislaying wigs." 


"It may have been rusty and received terrible reviews, but the whole thing had a vibrancy and energy that I adored.  And, of course, I thought we were excellent."


The good thing about that disastrous first night was that there were only a few dozen people in the audience.


Well, I have to add that they must have gotten better as they went on, because David did get two great reviews.


And The Lennox Herald raved about the performace in Glasgow at The Arches.


Herald Scotland -  October 16, 1991 - Sara Villiers. Cumbernauld Theater Performance


"David Tennant in his three roles invokes the demented joy of psychotics at play, again funny and cutting."


The Stage and Television Today - November 7, 1991 - Eva Benjamin


"Roehm's executioner is played by David Tennant, a natural as Arturo's hitman Giri, but who has the inner strength to carry conviction in any role."


So even at the earliest stages of his career he got great notices. I'm not saying this is always the case as NO actor gets raves everytime - but as you'll see on this site, he get's them more often then not! (ED opinion!)