Henry Goodman Holds Middlesex New Audience Spellbound
Monday, 28 November 2011
Famed for his role as Shylock, but less well-known for being kicked out of the Producers, award-winning actor Henry Goodman held an audience of over 200 spellbound while in conversation with journalist Jon Sopel at Middlesex New Synagogue, as Jane Harrison explains.
He spoke wryly about not being "as funny as Nathan Lane" after his agent told him by phone he was fired from the popular musical and poignantly about his amazing upbringing and his roots in the East End and the Oxford and St George's youth club and how important it was to be a good "leading British actor, not just a leading Jewish actor."
The event raised nearly £2,000 for the Israel Sports Centre for the Disabled and MNS, as neither men asked for a fee or expenses for their appearance.
Both men grew up in the East End and went to the Oxford and St George's youth club so shared much common ground. Jon described Henry as one of its "leading lights," adding: "I am sure my parents would have an intense sense of pride seeing us both sitting here," as he spoke about Henry's "stellar" career on the stage and screen.
Henry spoke about the youth club's ability to promote aspirations among young people by "stimulating education, athleticism and encouraging us to better ourselves" although he admitted it was not all sweetness and light when he was shot at by anti-Semitic youngsters with airguns.
The actor, who is equally at home in comedy and tragedy, made his debut as a ten-year-old child, with his brother Stan, in the World War II drama, 'Conspiracy of Hearts' with David Kossoff. He said:"Stan got in but my mother said:'you can't have one without the other.'"
Henry enjoyed the fame and fortune, the power of being able to 'kill' people on the big screen - "it turned my head a bit, but I hope I wasn't a precocious tosser" - but equally was brought down to earth when, with his name in lights, he bumped into a former schoolboy bully who yelled: 'I remember you, I used to bash your head in.'
Henry spoke about his training at Toynbee Hall in the East End, the Interaction Street Theatre and RADA, the latter slowing him down to "respect some of the other qualities people brought," and his youth theatre exchange in Czechoslovakia where Communism meant people never left the country or saw Shakespeare.
Both men compared notes on the impact their careers had on their families, not least as a political correspondent sometimes Jon's family would not know if he was safe. He said:"In Iraq we had to learn how to put on a gas mask in five minutes."
Harry Grant, whose wife Barbara and team produced some superb refreshments, thanked both men for producing such a captivating evening and everyone else, including the East End contingent, who turned out on a cold, foggy night.
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