Kenneth Tynan: In Praise of Hardcore
In 1963, flamboyant, eccentric English theatre critic Kenneth Tynan is made 'literary manager' of London's National Theatre. His views on censorship (can't stand it) and sexuality (as much of it onstage as possible) set him on a c...
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"In 1963, flamboyant theatre critic Kenneth Tynan is made 'literary manager' of the National Theatre. His controversial views set him on a collision course with the NT's Chairman and although Tynan has a supporter in Laurence Olivier he can't always count on the older, more conventional man to take his side. After deliberately and gleefully saying the word "f*ck" on a BBC1 arts shows, Tynan's position is further weakened but continues his quest to bring erotic material to the London stage despite widespread opposition and his own deteriorating health. I had n..."
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A very flattering portrait of the drama critic Kenneth Tynan, which entirely elides any reference to his first wife, the novelist Elaine Dundy. She was once beaten up so badly by Tynan that she had to be hospitalized. There is also no reference to Tynan's obsession with sado-masochistic extra-marital relationships (with himself as the sadist) or to the venereal disease he was suffering from at the time of his early death. These aspects of his personality, whilst well-known to those who knew him, were not revealed until the posthumous publication of his diaries in the mid-1990s (something his widow tried hard to prevent).
📖 Synopsis
In 1963, flamboyant, eccentric English theatre critic Kenneth Tynan is made 'literary manager' of London's National Theatre. His views on censorship (can't stand it) and sexuality (as much of it onstage as possible) set him on a c...