The Life and Poems of Sir John Betjeman; Lance Pierson, Wallingford Corn Exchange, Feb 20 (From Herald Series)

The Life and Poems of Sir John Betjeman; Lance Pierson, Wallingford Corn Exchange, Feb 20

9:00am Wednesday 27th January 2010

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A ONE-MAN show celebrating the life of the late Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman is heading to the Corn Exchange theatre at Wallingford. Actor Lance Pierson will perform The Life and Poems of Sir John Betjeman on Saturday, February 20, at 7.45pm.

Sir John, who lived for a time in both Uffington and Wantage, achieved huge success during his lifetime and continues to retain his ‘National Treasure’ status more than 20 years after his death.

He is by a long way the best-selling English poet of the 20th century. His gift for writing light verse, his technical abilities and his combination of eccentricity and Englishness are all key ingredients in his enduring popularity.

Lance, who, like Sir John, grew up in Highgate, north London, tells the story of the poet’s life through his poems, which are both moving and funny.

Featuring Sir John’s most famous and significant poems, including Slough, A Subaltern’s Love Song (Joan Hunter Dunn), Diary of a Church Mouse, Hunter Trials, and In a Bath Teashop, he charts Sir John’s heartbreaks and triumphs against a backdrop of a changing 20th-century England.

The actor takes us on a journey through Sir John’s life and passions. He brings each poem to life, using a different voice for each character and weaving a narrative between each piece. Having researched the stories behind the poems, he is able to set them in the context of the poet’s life.

Lance explained: “Even though we were born 40 years apart, JB and I have an uncanny amount in common. We were both only children; born and brought up in Highgate; sent away to boarding school; read English at Oxford University; love poetry, Cornwall and railways; are active Christians, but lament a great deal that’s frustrating about our Church of England. It’s at this point that my son butts in: ‘but, unfortunately, only one of you became famous’.

“I didn’t become fascinated by him till his centenary four years ago in 2006. I had read his Collected Poems before that and quite enjoyed some of them. But it was like reading through a window blind: I didn’t know what most of them were referring to.

“In preparation for the centenary, I read Bevis Hillier’s magnificent biography of JB, and all began to come clear. The poems are almost entirely autobiographical, and come to life when you know what events in his life they are talking about.”

He said: “I first planned a show about him as one of a series of English Christian poets, for whom I feel personal sympathy, and whose work I feel I can bring to life.

“But he rapidly became my most popular show, in a class of his own. This is partly because he still has a following. For the 50-plus generation who remember him as a TV personality, he is a great favourite because they can understand what he says and much of it makes them laugh.

“I think the other reason why my shows about him have gone so well is because he is eminently performable. JB was a natural raconteur, and his poems communicate directly to the listener; often they tell a story which demands to be acted out. And they have wonderful rhythm; he’s a great craftsman.”

He added: “He’s not just a jolly clown or court jester. He had serious concerns about the state of the country, which he saw to be in decline, and he voices this in his poems. This made him a natural candidate to be Poet Laureate. It was just sad that in those days the job tended to come too late in life. He was 66 when appointed: past his best and past most people’s retiring age. In those last years, he was ill and unable to make the mark that today’s Laureate can, fully fit and in the prime of life.”

The show is presented in two 45-minute parts, with an interval. Tickets are available at £9 each from the box office on 01491 825000. Tickets for school pupils (aged 18 and under) are £6 each.

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