Dear Steve,

Last month you posted the press release for Victor Spinetti's one-man show "A Very Private Diary - Revisited." Well, on Friday night I went to the performance at the Oxford Playhouse and I've written the following brief review, which you are very welcome to post on the site if you wish...

The show essentially consists of Victor Spinetti telling stories of his life in showbusiness. Put like that, it may not sound very exciting, but these stories involve not only The Beatles but many other legendary figures of stage and screen, including Marlene Dietrich, John Gielgud, Lawrence Olivier, Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor. What's more, Victor is a superb and animated storyteller, and a great mimic - his stories include impersonations of most of the above.

I was most interested in his Beatle connections, of course, and these feature quite heavily in the show. It was fascinating to hear of his experience of Beatlemania by proxy, for example. He tells of being in New York and, having appeared in "A Hard Day's Night," being recognised by Beatle fans who are eager to hear anything about the Fab Four, so much so that he gets mobbed in the street. Victor explains hilariously how he uses this to impress an American fellow actor who thought of him as an unknown "limey".

Some of the funniest moments on the show are provided by Victor's talent for speaking nonsense in a way that sounds like a particular language, e.g French, or Welsh, which he actually doesn't speak a word of despite being Welsh himself. He used this technique when playing a Sergeant-Major character in "Oh What a Lovely War," and reprised the idea memorably in "Magical Mystery Tour," and again for this show, with the help of a few volunteers from the audience.

After the show, Victor was happy to sign books and chat to people, an opportunity I took advantage of, perhaps not so different from those New York kids wanting to meet someone who knew The Beatles.

There is much to enjoy in this show for Beatle fans as well as anyone interested in the theatrical stories or just a good laugh, and I thoroughly recommend going to see it if it comes to your town.

All the best,
Karl Wallendszus

(9/13/2008) A press release:

Richard Jordan Productions Ltd in association with Victoria Mather, Brian Kirk, Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and The Pleasance presents A VERY PRIVATE DIARY – Revisited WITH VICTOR SPINETTI

Directed by NED SHERRIN

On tour from September 2008

Theatrical legend and raconteur Victor Spinetti offers a peek into an extraordinary life and career in "A Very Private Diary - Revisited," which appears throughout the UK from 9 September 2008 and will play New York's Lincoln Center Walter Bruno auditorium in January 2009.

A younger Spinetti

Born of Welsh and Italian heritage (his grandfather walked from Italy to Wales), Victor sprang to international fame as part of Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop in Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be and Oh! What A Lovely War! which transferred to New York and for which he won a TONY Award for his role as an obnoxious Drill Sergeant.

Spinetti has appeared in over thirty films including three with The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night, Help and Magical Mystery Tour, as well as co-writing a play, In his Own Write with John Lennon which appeared at the National Theatre in 1968.

With a twinkle in his eye, Victor recounts tale of the great, the good and the not so good. His charmed life has brought him close to legends of stage and screen. His intimate, revealing and hilarious stories include Marlene Dietrich, Frank Sinatra, Princess Margaret, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Sir John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier, and of course, The Beatles.

A Very Private Diary first appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe in the late 1980’s and after playing to sell-out houses transferred to The Donmar Warehouse, London and subsequently toured world-wide. The production was directed by the late writer and broadcaster Ned Sherrin, himself a master raconteur.

The 2008 revisited production is dedicated to Ned Sherrin and coincides with the release of Victor's biography UP FRONT this autumn in paperback.

Listings Information
Venue:                         Eden Court Theatre, Inverness
Dates and Times:       September 9 & 10 at 8pm
Tickets Prices:          £12 (concessions £10)
Box Office:                 01463 234234 / www.eden-court.co.uk

Venue:                         Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
Dates and Times:       September 17 & 18 at 7.45pm
Tickets Prices:          £18, £15
Box Office:                 01483 400000 / www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk           

Venue:                         Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton
Dates and Times:       September 20 at 7.45pm
Tickets Prices:          £12.50 - £17.50 (concessions £2 off)
Box Office:                01823 283244 / www.thebrewhouse.net

Venue:                         Lancaster Grand
Dates and Times:       September 25 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £16
Box Office:                01524 64695 / www.lancastergrand.co.uk

Venue:                         Selby Town Hall
Dates and Times:       September 27 at 8pm
Tickets Prices:          £8
Box Office:                01757 213758 / www.selbytownhall.co.uk

Venue:                         Old Town Hall, Hemel Hempstead
Dates and Times:       September 29 at 8pm
Tickets Prices:          £14, £12
Box Office:                01442 228091 / www.dacorum.gov.uk

Venue:                         Elgiva Theatre, Chesham
Dates and Times:       October 2 at 8pm
Tickets Prices:          £17.00 (£15.00 conc)
Box Office:                01494 582900 / www.elgiva.com

Venue:                         Theatre Royal, Bury St. Edmunds
Dates and Times:       October 3 & 4 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £7 - £23.50
Box Office:                01284 769505 / www.theatreroyal.org

Venue:                         The Bloomsbury Theatre, London
Dates and Times:       October 6 & 7 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £17.50 (£15 concessions)
Box Office:                020 7388 8822 / www.thebloomsbury.com

Venue:                         Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond, Yorks
Dates and Times:       October 11 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £10 - £17.50
Box Office:                01748 825252 / www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk

Venue:                         Harrogate Theatre
Dates and Times:       October 14 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £12 - £16
Box Office:                01423 502116 / www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk

Venue:                         Malvern Theatre
Dates and Times:       October 17 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £14
Box Office:                01684 892277 / www.malvern-theatres.co.uk

Venue:                         Customs House, South Shields
Dates and Times:       October 21 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £13.50, £12.50
Box Office:                0191 454 1234 / www.customshouse.co.uk

Venue:                         Oxford Playhouse
Dates and Times:       October 24 at 8pm
Tickets Prices:          £11.50 - £18.50
Box Office:                01865 305305 / www.oxfordplayhouse.co.uk

Venue:                         Oakengate Theatre, Telford
Dates and Times:       October 26 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £16
Box Office:                01952 382382 / www.oakengates.com

Venue:                         The Coliseum, Aberdare
Dates and Times:       November 1 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £12 - £15
Box Office:                01685 881188

Venue:                         New Theatre, Cardiff
Dates and Times:       November 2 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £8 - £19
Box Office:                029 2087 8889 / www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk

Venue:                         Grand Theatre, Swansea
Dates and Times:       November 3 & 4 at 7.15pm
Tickets Prices:          £10 (£8 concessions)
Box Office:                01792 475715 / www.swansea.gov.uk

Venue:                         Kings Lynn Arts Centre, 
Dates and Times:       November 7 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £14 (concessions £13)
Box Office:                01553 764864 / www.kingslynnarts.co.uk

Venue:                         The Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke
Dates and Times:       November 8 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £15.00
Box Office:                01256 844244 / www.anvilarts.org.uk

Venue:                         Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne
Dates and Times:       November 9 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £15.50
Box Office:                01323 412000 / www.eastbournetheatres.uk

Venue:                         Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham
Dates and Times:       November 12 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £16 (£15 concessions)
Box Office:                01329 223100 / www.ashcroft.org.uk

Venue:                         Forest Arts Centre, New Milton
Dates and Times:       November 13 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £16 (£15 concessions) 
Box Office:                01425 612393 / www.forest-arts.co.uk

Venue:                         The Plough Arts Centre, Great Torrington
Dates and Times:       November 15 at 8pm
Tickets Prices:          £12 (£11 concessions)
Box Office:                018 0562 4624 / www.plough-arts.org

Venue:                         Blackwood Miner’s Institute, Gwent
Dates and Times:       November 18 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £15 - £13
Box Office:                01495 227206 / www.blackwoodminersinstitute.com

Venue:                         Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
Dates and Times:       November 21 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £10 -£14
Box Office:                01723 370541 / www.sjt.uk.com

Venue:                         The Old Laundry Theatre, Bowness on Windermere
Dates and Times:       November 23 at 8pm
Tickets Prices:          £10 / £12
Box Office:                0153 948444 / www.oldlaundrytheatre.co.uk

Venue:                         Corn Exchange, Newbury
Dates and Times:       November 28 at 7.45pm
Tickets Prices:          £16 (£14 concessions)
Box Office:                01635 522733 / www.cornexchangenew.co.uk

Venue:                         Torch Theatre, Pembrokeshire
Dates and Times:       December 5 & 6 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:            £15 (£13.50 concessions)
Box Office:                01646 695267 / www.torchtheatre.co.uk

Venue:                         Norwich Playhouse
Dates and Times:       December 12, 13 at 7.30pm
Tickets Prices:          £14 (£12 concessions)
Box Office:                01603 598598 / www.norwichplayhouse.co.uk

Venue:                         Beaufort Theatre, Abervale
Dates and Times:       December 20 at 8pm
Tickets Prices:          £15
Box Office:                01495 355800 / boxoffice@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk

Venue:                         Bruno Walter Theatre, NYPL, New York City, USA
Dates and Times:       January 5, 8, 10 2009
Tickets Prices:          
Box Office