SO foul and fair a day had not been seen by most members of the audience as they emerged from Wednesday's cold night into the foyer of the Abbey Theatre. Director Patrick Mason's new production of The Scottish Play fairly sped along, obviously working on the premise that if it were done when tis done, then `twere well it were done quickly.
Afterwards in the theatre's main bar, Mr Mason mingled with society and played the humble host while accepting golden opinions from all sorts of people. With the Big Mac now in place, the Abbey's artistic director is off to London next Monday - not leaving his present post in the country for good, but just heading, into a five week rehearsal period of Don Pasquale he is directing for English National Opera. He will be in need of vaulting ambition for this because two days before the opera opens at the Coliseum, another of his productions, Observe The Sons Of Ulster Marching Towards The Somme, arrives at the Barbican. "I dare do all that may become a man" could be taken as Mr Mason's motto at the moment.
Meanwhile his designer, Joe Vanek has headed off for a 10 day break to Goa to rest and come up with some ideas for his next undertaking - working on Cliff Richard's long cherished production of Heathcliff which is finally due to make its debut in London this autumn. The director is sometime Dublin resident Frank Dunlop, an old friend of the singer. Much as this undertaking has been mocked, it's probably fair to say of Heathcliff - that present fears are less than horrible imaginings.