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The Iceman Goeth by Steve Jacobi

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BBC Radio 4, 23 April 2009
 
This drama-documentary recalled the occasion in 1976 when the actor Ian Holm (Iain Glen) had a panic-attack while performing Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh on stage, which rendered him incapable of continuing the performance. From then on he was reluctant to appear in the theatre; although persuaded to do so after a long hiatus, Holm recalled in an interview that he was still subject to similar attacks at inopportune moments.
 
In Steve Jacobi's play Holm was characterized as a confident leading man, who by the mid-1970s had climbed to the top of his profession, with memorable performances in Shakespearean and other roles. In Howard Davies' (Malcolm Raeburn's) production of The Iceman Cometh, Holm played Hickey; this was a monstrously long part, but one that seemed quite within the actor's capabilities. Everything appeared fine in rehearsal: Holm learned his lines and interacted happily with the rest of the cast. The only thing that seemed odd was his rather unnatural reliance on his wife Bee Gilbert (Charlotte Emmerson), who was expected to attend every rehearsal. Bee complied, but at no time did she appear perturbed - in her view this was nothing more than anxiety on her husband's part at the prospect of playing such an onerous part.
 
The play's action was punctuated with extracts from an interview with Holm himself, who recalled that, as a result of an unhappy childhood, he felt the desire to inhabit (rather than just play) theatrical roles. This helped him overcome crippling shyness, as well as overcoming the shattering consequences of his brother's early death. However the sheer strain of performing night after night became too much for him - even while rehearsals for The Iceman Cometh were taking place, Holm felt the stress welling up inside him. 
 
The breakdown was spectacular: Holm suddenly stopped dead in the middle of a speech and could not continue, despite the prompts of his fellow-actors. The curtain came down, and Davies made an announcement to the audience that the performance could continue. Meanwhile Holm collapsed in a stupor backstage - even though he soon came round, it was clear he could not play Hickey any more.
 
The Iceman Goeth emphasized just how much mental effort an actor experiences in preparing for and subsequently performing a role on stage. Some turn this task to their advantage; the adrenalin created by acting in front of an audience spurs them on to greater achievement. Others - like Holm - find that the ordeal proves too much them. Nonetheless, as Holm recalled in his interview, he could still be proud of his stage career, with memorable characterizations in Shakespearean revivals, such as Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream.