"By that I meant that he was less prone to expressing his views in opinion pieces than contemporaries such as David Hare and David Edgar. The term also implied that his plays possessed a less idiosyncratic style than the work of, say, Harold Pinter or Tom Stoppard. But I suspect that Hampton's regard for the classical virtues of objectivity, lucidity and irony means that his work will prove as durable as anyone's."
"We were privileged to be given a private night-time tour of the pyramids and were enjoying a quiet drink in the neighbouring hotel in Giza when in burst Hampton, who had just arrived from London. Have you heard the news? he cried. Mrs Thatcher has been attacked in the Commons by Geoffrey Howe and it looks as if she's in trouble."
"It was, in fact, the prelude to her resignation but what I've never forgotten is the light in Hampton's eyes as he passed on the news about her imminent downfall. This shouldn't come as a surprise when you remember that Hampton's original plays and I don't have space to deal with his numerous adaptations, translations and work for film and television are, in essence, political."
Christopher Hampton is regarded as a quiet figure in British theatre, less inclined to public opinion pieces than contemporaries such as David Hare and David Edgar. His plays are described as less idiosyncratic than those of Harold Pinter or Tom Stoppard and prize classical virtues of objectivity, lucidity and irony that support lasting value. He has demonstrated considerable private passion, exemplified by a striking reaction in Cairo in November 1990 to Geoffrey Howe's Commons attack on Mrs Thatcher. Hampton's original plays are essentially political and often examine the tension between radicals and liberals, a conflict he sees reflected in his own work. He also has numerous adaptations, translations and screen projects.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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