User:StuHarris/sandbox/blakemore

Theatre administration
In 1970, as the National Theatre began a slow, and much delayed, transition from the Old Vic premises to the multi-stage South Bank site, Blakemore was invited by Laurence Olivier to become one of two Associate Directors. Since Olivier had already suffered the first of many medical crises that would be a feature of the last quarter of his life, the question of eventual succession as Artistic Director was obviously in the background. Blakemore felt he was a probable candidate.

However, in 1973 the Board of the National Theatre appointed Peter Hall without consulting Olivier. Blakemore wrote:

"It was a little like a putsch, and people were separated from one another by private concerns: what did the future hold and would they still keep their jobs?"

Blakemore and Hall had been rivals during the 1960 season at the Royal Shakespeare Company, when Hall had directed Blakemore as an actor and both had had romantic ideas about Vanessa Redgrave. Blakemore became one of ten associate directors forming what was called a planning committee. Blakemore and Hall did not see eye to eye, and the rivalry was dramatised when Blakemore presented a formal manifesto to the committee recommending reform. The committee refused to discuss the manifesto and Blakemore was eventually forced to resign when his salary was stopped without warning or explanation.

In 1980, Blakemore was invited to direct a series of four plays at the newly-reconstructed Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith by Artistic Director Bill Thomley. The Board made it known that they were looking for a new Artistic Director, and Blakemore decide to put his name forward. However, the job went to Peter James.