I’m not a great lover of the theatre if I’m honest. Being of a large upholstered frame, I always feel a little ‘squeezed’ in, especially in the seats of the older venues, which often makes the experience somewhat uncomfortable. However, every now and then, I see a show or a play which will stay with me and all those uncomfortable nights are suddenly forgotten. For example, ‘War Horse’ at the New London Theatre (with the added bonus of my mate Malcolm Ridley in the cast) or ‘Get Carter’ at Greenwich Theatre, where a cast of only four people and very limited scene changes, delivered a spectacular version of that classic film. 

However, if I had to select one theatre night above all others, it would be seeing Peter O’Toole in ‘Jeffery Bernard is Unwell’ at The Apollo Theatre in 1989.  O’Toole was just amazing, as the alcoholic, self-destructive Bernard, the writer of the ‘Low Life’ column in The Spectator, which was once memorably described as ‘a suicide note in weekly instalments’. So good was it,  I went and saw it three more times. O’Toole simply commanded the stage.

He was born Peter Seamus O’Toole in August 1932, but exactly where, is a matter of conjecture. More of that in a moment. Mum Constance, was a Scottish nurse and dad Patrick  or ‘Spats’ to his friends, an Irishman, and at one time or the other, a footballer, metal plater, and bookmaker . O’Toole always said he was unsure of his birthplace, though records show it was in St James’s hospital, Leeds. O’Toole also said he had an Irish birth certificate, which stated he was born in Connemara.   

Whatever, the truth, he and sister Pat would later grow up in Hunslet, South Leeds, but from the age of one, he had lived in various racecourse towns selected depending where his father was working at any one time. He was reared in the Catholic faith.

‘I used to be scared stiff of the nuns: their whole denial of womanhood—the black dresses and the shaving of the hair—was so horrible, so terrifying. Of course, that’s all been stopped. They’re sipping gin and tonic in the Dublin pubs now, and a couple of them flashed their pretty ankles at me just the other day.’

Upon leaving school, he worked at the Yorkshire Post as a trainee photojournalist, before he was called up for National Service in 1950, in which he joined the Royal Navy.  Upon leaving the services, he went to RADA  on a scholarship in 1952, where classmates included Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay and Alan Bates

‘The most remarkable class the academy ever had, though we weren’t reckoned for much at the time. We were all considered dotty.’

O’Toole hit the stage soon after leaving RADA, working with the English Stage Company at the Bristol Old Vic performing both a Shakespearian repertoire, alongside other theatrical classics, as well making the odd appearance on TV. In 1958, he met Welsh actress Sian Philips, who was to become his wife, whilst touring the provinces.

‘We learned the old-fashioned disciplines of the theatre. And one of the most important things was versatility. If you wanted to be a proper actor, if you wanted to be a Larry Olivier, or a Michael Redgrave or a John Gielgud, you had to have versatility.’

His big break on the London stage came in 1959 in ‘The Long and the Short and the Tall’ written by Willis Hall and performed at the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, directed by Lindsay Anderson. Terence Stamp was O’Toole’s understudy. It later transferred to the West End and O’Toole won the best actor award that year, though he subsequently lost out on the chance to reprise the role, in the film of the play, with the part instead going to Lawrence Harvey

‘It broke my heart’ he later said.

Though now much in demand for major film work, he continued in smaller roles instead and then did a  9-month season at Stratford for the Royal Shakespeare company.

‘You’ve got to go to Stratford when you’ve got the chance.’

Things changed dramatically though in 1960, when he landed the part of T.E. Lawrence  in the David Lean $12 million epic, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ with the main part reportedly first turned down by his old classmate Albert Finney. O’Toole’s striking good looks in the film were noticed by none other than Noel Coward  who said…

‘If you’d been any prettier, it would have been Florence of Arabia.’

Its filming was a gruelling undertaking and, O’Toole was nearly killed when he fell from a camel and he did not help things further, when after a celebration and a touch worse the wear for drink, he injured his hand badly by punching it through a glass window.

‘Lawrence’ was a global hit earning him an Academy award nomination for best actor, and he picked up the BAFTA that year for the same category. He then returned to the stage in 1963 for the newly formed Royal National Theatre performing Hamlet , directed by Sir Laurence Olivier

He then set up, Keep Films, his own production company (AKA Tricolour Productions) with American producer Jules Buck and whilst trying to make ‘Waiting for Godot’ , they delivered ‘Beckett  in 1964, with O’Toole as King Henry II playing alongside Richard Burton.

Next in 1965, came the hugely successful ‘What’s New Pussycat’ based on a Woody Allen script, then ‘How to Steal a Million’ with Audrey Hepburn in 1966. He then appeared in a few not so successful films, whilst continuing to work in film on projects like ‘Casino Royale.’

He was King Henry II once again in ‘The Lion in Winter’ performing alongside Katherine Hepburn in 1968, which picked up good box office receipts and yet another Oscar nomination for him. He was on that list again in 1969, playing the title role in the musical ‘Goodbye Mr. Chips’ alongside Petula Clark.

Then in 1970, he achieved a lifelong ambition, by performing Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’ at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, alongside Donal McCann. Continuing to work at quite a pace, he starred in ‘Murphy’s War’ in 1971, and ‘Under Milk Wood’ by Dylan Thomas, alongside old pal and drinking buddy, Richard Burton and his wife Elizabeth Taylor in 1972. Yet another Oscar nomination came his way for ‘The Ruling Class’ in 1972, and in that same year he played Don Quixote in ‘Man of la Mancha.’

Taking a break from the film world, he went back on the boards at the Bristol Old Vic for a couple of years, before returning in films such as ‘Rosebud’, ‘Man Friday’, ‘Foxtrot’, ‘Rogue Male’, and ‘The Stunt Man’ in 1980, which earned, yes, you’ve guessed it, another Oscar nomination. He then picked up another one for the romantic comedy ‘My Favourite Year’ in 1982.

Back in theatreland, his Macbeth from 1980 is now part of theatre legend. O’Toole directed as well as starred in the show. A startled audience were met with a dimly lit stage full of swaying black plastic phalluses. Cat calls were heard on the first night and unintended laughter was a regular thing. The production, which had full houses, became known as ‘MacDeath’ and ‘Macflop.’

On a brighter note, he performed ‘Pygmalion’ on stage in 1984 in the West End and then came ‘Jefferey Bernard is Unwell’ in 1989.  He won that years Laurence Olivier award for Best Actor and he would go on to reprise the role in a TV adaption in 1999 directed by Ned Sherrin. He was constantly in work during the 2000’s, though without setting the acting world alight.

After a total of eight nominations, he was finally given an honorary Academy Award in 2002 aged 70. He initially turned down the gesture, saying

‘I’m still in the game and would like to win the lovely bugger outright.’  

He was eventually talked round by his children and awarded the Oscar by Meryl Streep.

‘I have my very own Oscar to be with me, till death us do part.’

He announced his retirement from acting in 2012, as a result of his medical condition which had deteriorated for some time. In the mid 1970s  he was found to be suffering from pancreatitis which required surgery, where he lost much of his stomach. His fearsome reputation as a hellraiser, along with the Richard’s Harris and Burton, hardly helped. Though once warned if he drank again, it would kill him, he stopped.

‘The only exercise I take, is walking behind the coffins of friends who took exercise, it’s my belief that one should decide for oneself when it is time to end one’s stay. So, I bid the profession a dry-eyed and profoundly grateful farewell.’

He had two daughters Kate and Patricia, with Sian Philips. They divorced in 1979. He had a son Lorcan with second wife Karen Brown in 1983. O’Toole was a keen sports fan with rugby, and cricket  particular favourites and he was a keen supporter of Sunderland Football Club, though that ended with their move from Roker Park to the Stadium of Light in 1997.

Peter O’Toole died in 2013 and his ashes were taken to the West of Ireland. He once told TV host David Letterman he wanted the headstone to be inscribed with something taken from a dry cleaner’s note stuck on one of his battered old jackets.

‘It distresses us to return work which is not perfect.’

Steven Spielberg – ‘The day before I saw it, and I was 15 at the time, I thought I wanted to be a surgeon. The day after, I knew I wanted to be a director. Whenever I want to see what great films used to be like, I watch ‘Lawrence of Arabia’

 

The Mumper of SE5

Read The Mumper’s other weekly musings on ‘The Speakeasy’ blog page

 

 

 

 

ART GALLERY CLOTHING

Knitwear

 

JOIN US

Sign up to our newsletter and receive an exclusive promo code, latest news & Art Gallery Clothing offers.