Tribute to Richard Griffiths After Final Galileo Performance

Actor Ian McDiarmid paid tribute to the late Richard Griffiths after the final performance of A Life of Galileo on Saturday 30 March. McDiarmid, who played Galileo in the Royal Shakespeare Company production, told the audience of his great admiration for Richard Griffiths as an actor and colleague. He pointed out that Griffiths, who died on 28 March 2013 aged 65, also played Galileo in 1994 at the Almeida Theatre.

With the cast of A Life of Galileo assembled behind him for the final curtain call, McDairmid explained how Griffiths’ energetic portrayal of Galileo provided inspiration for some of his own performance. MacDiarmid closed the evening by inviting the audience to show their appreciation for Richard Griffiths with a period of applause.

The RSC production of A Life of Galileo by Bertold Brecht (using a new translation by Mark Ravenhill) played at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon from 31 January – 30 March 2013.

In this short RSC video featuring the director Roxana Silbert, Iain McDairmid says “it seems to me at the moment science is in the air.”

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItuI-uBxsfo?feature=player_detailpage&w=640&h=360]