Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford upon Avon
Anne and I attended a matinée performance of Ben and Imo, a play by Mark Ravenhill. A tour de force for the two actors (Victoria Yeates and Samuel Barnett), the play tells of a turbulent year (1952-3) in which Imogen Holst arrives at Aldeburgh to ‘help’ Benjamin Britten write Gloriana, a full-scale opera commissioned for the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Their developing relationship is complex, intense, turbulent and creative. There is not a dull moment in this captivating and thought-provoking play, which I recommend most warmly to anyone reading this.