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In March 97, I found out PQ was going to be with the RSC in London. I booked tickets for Macbeth and White Devil. Then I had to convince my girlfriend to go with me to see a guy who she didn't know. Actually, I didn't know him either. I had only seen him in the TAC video. I knew he was a great singer, but of course these were non-singing roles. I was sure he must be a good actor after he shot that evil look at the audience at the end of 'Stars'.
We saw him in Macbeth on the first night we arrived. I had a hard time recognizing him. I was waiting for a middle-aged heavy-set tall man. Well he was tall all right, but I was shocked at how good-looking he was. We had pretty good seats for the main stage at the Barbican Theatre, but we really couldn't see his face very well. All we could tell was he had a great physique from all the "sword-play" that was going on.
A couple of nights later we went to see him in White Devil at The Pit theatre. If you're not familiar with this venue...it is extremely small. I think there were only 5 rows, bleacher-style, surrounding the stage. We were in the front row to one side of the stage. While seated, a couple tried to sit in our seats. We compared ticket stubs and realized we had the same seats assigned. But they had just bought their seats that day and obviously there was a problem. The Stage Manager approached us and asked us if we would mind moving. They had had to eliminate four seats to accommodate the configuration of the stage for this particular production. I was about to be bitterly disappointed until he showed us our seats. They set up 4 folding chairs in front of the first row. The stage was a raised platform of about 12 inches, so it made a great ottoman for my feet. We were literally 2 feet from the stage!
We were so close, we couldn't even whisper to each other because he would hear us. And as it turned out, even without Philip, it was a great theatre experience. We felt we were in the play. Which was a little dangerous at times....lots of fake blood flying through the air, swords swishing past our faces and pistols going off!
Anyway, as the play was about to begin...the lights dimmed..dry ice was making an eerie atmosphere...Philip emerged out of the dark fog from the aisle next to me. He bounded onto the stage in an outfit that rivaled any cover of those romance novels with Fabio on it!
He was dressed in a long black leather coat. He strips off the coat and he is in tight black leather pants with accompanying "codpiece". He also had on a black leather vest and one of those white v-neck "poofy" shirts with the billowing sleeves. May I just take this opportunity to thank the costume designer? The vision of him in this outfit has supported my fantasy life for three years! I knew my girlfriend felt the same as she was drawing blood on my arm from squeezing so hard! We started giggling like a couple of school girls. We went to see him for his talent, and we were shocked at how handsome he was. He looks nothing like he does on film or video. He was great in the part..another evil role!
At some point, I noticed he was staring at me...I thought I must be hallucinating...but my girlfriend confirmed this to me during intermission. Could he not resist this "vision of loveliness" before him? Okay, when I came back down to earth, I realized what he must really be staring at. A woman in the front row who is squinting, ( I needed new lenses) and staring him down continuously and not really following the other actors....I'm sure by this time, I was probably also drooling.....I'm sure he thought I was having a stroke!!
Now I'm off to London again, actually Stratford, to see him in The Secret Garden. I really want to hear him sing. I hope he's lost all his looks since 97, cause they're too darn distracting to enjoy his acting and singing ability! I would have been even more "gushing" in my description of him. But I think it would sound like something out of a teen magazine!
