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 Welcome to the Alan Bates Archive,
created in 1997 to document the work of Sir Alan Bates, CBE on stage, in films, and on television.
It was - and indeed, continues to be - his official web site.
"My web," he called it.
The present cover photo shows Alan as Guy Burgess in the classic
1983 BBC drama "An Englishman Abroad." "Englishman"
has just been named one of the British Film Institute's 100 top
programmes; it is No. 30 on the grand list of 100, and No. 5
in the Single Drama category. Here is the note:
"An enormously enjoyable comedy spun from a real-life
story told to Alan Bennett by the actress Coral Browne, who had
met the traitor Guy Burgess in Moscow on a cultural exchange
visit in 1958. Out of this story, Bennett fashioned a screenplay
which reflected on patriotism and treachery, drawing many parallels
between Hamlet, which the Old Vic was performing on the trip,
and Burgess's actions. Alan Bates's Burgess is ferociously charming
and engaging; but underlying his jaunty championing of life in
the Soviet Union there is despair and a deep longing for England."
Not mentioned is the fact that "An Englishman Abroad"
was written by Alan Bennett as one of a pair of one-act plays
about the so-called "Cambridge spies." Together the
two plays are referred to as "Single Spies," and you
can find both by visiting the Bates Archive Shop (link at the
top of the navigation column, left).
In Memoriam
At his death on 27 December 2003 there was an outpouring of
affection and respect for Alan from friends, fans, colleagues,
the media. I have gathered the best tributes, my own message
and an account of the September Royal Court Celebration in a
permanent Archive section, In Memoriam.
I hope that you'll enjoy your visit to some of the site's
special features, whether it's a Quicktime film, an interview
out of the Archive, a look at the Photo Gallery, or a visit to
the Shop, where you can find rare films and CDs of Alan's work.
Karen
Rappaport
The British Theatre Guide interview featuring
the Bates Archive
The Alan Bates Archive was launched on 17 February 1997,
and was Sir Alan's official website.
Site and domain name ©
copyright Karen Rappaport, 2010.
Photo copyrights remain with the photographers.
The copyrights for quoted reviews and interviews remain with
the individual publications cited.
No links or adaptation of the material herein contained without
permission.
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