Ryan Gilbey was eloquent about the qualities of David Warner, but it isn’t true that he got stage fright while performing in The Great Exhibition in 1972. On the contrary, he acted fearlessly at all times.
His colleague Irene Worth once said that acting with David was like “swimming in silk”. So was watching him.
David Hare
I was lucky enough to be at the first preview of David Warner’s Hamlet with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1965.
Strangely, it was a Tuesday matinee, starting at 2.30pm. As the cast took their enthusiastically received curtain calls, Warner pointed to his imaginary wrist watch. It was 6.55pm and the evening audience was gathering.
Ray Waterhouse
