The tragedy of

RIVERGATE

Cast of Characters... The Heroes........................................ALAN RICKMAN ...............................THELMA HOLT ...............................JULIET STEVENSON ...............................FIONA SHAW ...............................DEBORAH WARNER ...............................ALAN YENTOB ...............................RICHARD RODGERS ...............................CATHERINE BAILEY The Enemy....................................Riverside Board of Directors The Dimwit...................................Jane Hackworth-Young The Nerve(!).................................Jules Wright

THE PLOT:In 1993, Riverside Studios, a large theater and entertainment venue near Hammersmith Bridge in London, is put up for bid. The Riverside board of directors must decide which person or group of persons will run the complex and provide the people of London with the quality of programs they demand.

Our MAIN HERO and his consortium earnestly draw up a 20-page proposal three months in advance of the deadline with plans for WONDERFUL THINGS to happen to the theater; they are among the most serious contenders--including THE NERVE, who leaves the Riverside board to organize her own consortium and plan of attack.

Knowing THE NERVE has an advantage over everyone else, our heroes call in an intermediary (otherwise known as THE DIMWIT) to help them get their proposal directly into the hands of the board of directors (soon to be known as THE ENEMY).

THE OUTCOME:THE DIMWIT waits until the eleventh hour to submit the Rickman consortium's proposal (for reasons unknown), so that it can't be considered by the board in time. THE NERVE with her consortium, TheWomen's Playhouse Trust, wins the bid hands down (for reasons unknown).

Further Reading:

1 Excerpt from Alan Rickman: The Unauthorised Biography, 1996

2 Lighting a Candle for Art , The Independent, 6 December 1991 (profile on Thelma Holt)

3 A Night Without Stars on the Avenue, The Independent, 30 June 1993

4 Rickman Plans to Make Riverside a Drama Hothouse, Evening Standard, 20 July 1993

5 Actor's Bid for Studio Fails, Evening Standard, 26 July 1993

6 You're a Bid Too Late, Mr Rickman, Evening Standard, 29 July 1993

7 Why Riverside's Board Must Go, Evening Standard, 12 August 1993

8 Down by the Riverside, Variety, 16 August 1993

9 Trusts Do Not Mix, The Times, 25 August 1993

10 Shudtown at Riverside as Debts Mount and Jobs Go, Evening Standard, 16 February 1994

11 Dramatic Tale of Two Theaters, The Independent, 25 May 1994

12 Art Centre Freehold Sold for 1 Pounds, The Independent, 5 August 1994

This page would not have existed if it weren't for the relentless researching of R. Faey.

Back to:

Rickman in the Round Home Page