Let us get one thing straight: the title role in Ronald Harwood’s play The Dresser has to be camp. He was camp when Tom Courtenay performed it first in Manchester in 1980, he was camp three years later in the movie (also Courtenay) and if the early signs are correct he will be camp when Reece Shearsmith performs it in a forthcoming stage revival. “I went to a read-through,” says Harwood. “God, he’s good.”
However, the dresser — aka Norman — was just not camp enough when Ian McKellen played the role in last year’s super-starry BBC adaptation directed by Richard Eyre. There was speculation at the time that the author had reservations. This was followed by a diplomatic denial, but today he is a