Hall called him â unsentimental , dangerous and immensely powerfulâ , even the Sunday Timesâ curmudgeonly critic of the day called his performance â a decisive step in the direction of great tragedy ... great actingâ , while fellow actors paid him the rare compliment of applauding him in the dressing room on the first night . Hall called him `` unsentimental , dangerous and immensely powerful '' , even The Sunday Times curmudgeonly critic of the day called his performance `` a decisive step in the direction of great tragedy ... great acting '' , while fellow actors paid him the rare compliment of applauding him in the dressing room on the first night .