Cruella de Jongh?

There appear to be many people who dislike the theatre critic, Nicholas de Jongh. In truth, I have not really had many dealings with him but contemporaries have told most peculiar tales ranging from the insistence upon aisle seating through to the removal of his shirt in over-heated theatres. Personally, I was happy to reserve my judgement on NdeJ simply because I had had not contact with him whatsoever. Until last Christmas, when I happened to be seated near him during a production at the (late?!) Drill Hall. It was here that NdeJ harangued a punter – a punter I hasten to add. A real ticket payer, not one of us working girls – for placing a bag on the empty seat next to him. You may think it a minor incident but it did very little to endear me to his already forbidding reputation.



That said, I was highly interested to see a play he has recently had produced at the Finborough Theatre called Plague Over England. The play was an extremely well crafted piece, witty and poignant in turns, with a thoroughbred cast to boot. I now believe that the play has sold out for the rest of the run – nowhere for anyone to put their bags with this one!