THE MAYOR OF ZALAMEA
Written by Pedro Calderon de la Barca, translated by David Brett
Directed by John Neville
Ian McKellen in the role of Captain Don Alvaro
Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham
11 March 1964
Words from Ian McKellen
Pedro Calderon de la Barca, (1600-1681) wrote 126 verse plays "this being one of the more celebrated, a melodrama of honour and revenge. As the lascivious Captain Don Alvaro, my most notable contribution to the passionate tale was to swing Isabel (Vivienne Martin) around the stage, our arms stretched out, misjudging the arc of the move and consequently throwing her into the front row of the stalls.
This ran in repertoire with "Semi-Detached". When I went to see my new colleagues' efforts, I felt smug that I had been in the premiere production at Coventry (1962).