Book Review: Letters I Never Sent – Max Stafford-Clark

LETTERS I NEVER SENT – Max Stafford-Clark (Book Guild)

Star rating: one star ★ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

Dear Max

Because your disparate new book of ideas, reminiscence and self-flagellation is presented as a series of letters, I am reviewing it in the same format, although as far as I know we’ve never met. I don’t think much of it as a way of structuring a book but it seems an appropriate way of responding.

Yes, of course we all know that you founded Joint Stock and Out of Joint and that you ran the Royal Court for years out of which came a great deal of new work and innovatory thinking which probably helped to change the face of theatre in Britain. I’ve seen and admired a fair bit of your work over the years.

We also know that it all fell apart in 2017 when you were drummed out of your post because of allegations of sexual harassment despite your being deep in directing Rita, Sue and Bob Too at the Royal Court. You devote many pages of your book to beating yourself up and obsequiously apologising for your words and deeds but I don’t think it’s going to wash.

You suggest that your disinhibition stems partly from the stroke you suffered in 2009 which caused frontal lobe damage and left you disabled. In fact various women, including Tracy-Ann Oberman, have publicly claimed that you were a sexual predator long before that.

Thank you for telling us in detail again what your teaching/directing tool “actioning” involves and observing that it’s now a term drama students use casually amongst themselves. Well done – but surely it’s really only a practical application of Stanislavsky and not particularly original?

I read your letter to Rufus Norris with interest. I doubt that he’ll take much notice as things are.

You are interesting, however, when you start to think about the past and I enjoyed some of your letters to long dead people such as playwright Andrea Dunbar, the gritty realistic playwright whose work you championed.

And I especially liked your letter to your daughter Kitty in which you tell her and your readers about her adoption from Bulgaria and what a near thing it was. Your love for her shines through, as does your love for, and gratitude to, your long suffering wife, Stella Feehily. You actually sound genuine when you get to them.

I’m also glad to learn that you’ve been privately helping – and have written open letters to them here – some students who needed support with their auditions although you can’t resist saying regretfully that it’s the only directing you’ve done in over two years.

I’m not surprised that Nick Hern, who published several of your earlier books, turned this one down flat but I was rather taken aback to note how openly bitter you are about it. You include a long letter to him in which you quote some of his damning comments. Have you any idea how petty that makes you seem?

You are now 80. You have a respected legacy. I should leave it at that.

Best wishes,

Susan Elkin