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The Times & The Sunday Times
The Times & The Sunday Times
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Not all for show

Olivier’s stage and screen performances were rooted in deep emotion
The Times
The Times

Sir, Benedict Nightingale’s article on Stanislavski and the Method (times2, Feb 4) was well worth reading, but Samuel West’s assertion that Olivier was all about show couldn’t be more wrong. I saw Olivier live in The Entertainer, Othello and Uncle Vanya as well as his performances in Richard III, Henry V and Hamlet on film and he was a genius. He knew about emotions and drew from a deep well, often moving his audiences to tears.

And by the way, it was not Spencer Tracy who originally said: “Say your lines and don’t bump into the furniture” — it was No?l Coward.

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John Butt
Topsham, Devon