The Power Of Yes by David Hare, Lyttelton Theatre, 17 October 2009

We were not overly impressed with this play.

David Hare is very good at burrowing around all manner of interesting topics, but I suspect he was too far away from his spheres of knowledge and understanding with the financial crisis.

Hare almost admits as much, as the narrator of the play is a somewhat perplexed author.

So to me, Hare was making the obvious points about the financial crisis well enough, but there was little dramatic tension and no new insight in the piece.

Janie liked it a bit more than i did, but I suspect that she got more out of it, being less steeped in the financial crisis in the first place.

I’m glad we saw it, but this is second division work from a first division playwright. There was little a good cast and production could do to save it.

 

The Man Who by Oliver Sacks, Cottesloe Theatre, 29 April 1995

Janie and I were very taken with this piece. I rated it “very good” in my log.

The piece had originally been performed in French by Peter Brook’s company in 1993. Brook translated and brought the piece to England.

Below is Michael Billington’s uncertain review from the original 1993 Paris production:

Billington on l'Homme QuiBillington on l’Homme Qui Sat, Mar 13, 1993 – 28 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

Michael Coveney reviewed the piece in Newcastle in the spring of 1994:

Coveney on The Man WhoCoveney on The Man Who Sun, Mar 27, 1994 – 78 · The Observer (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

When the piece came to London in May 1994, Brian Butterworth, a Professor of Neuropsychology, loved the piece:

Butterworth on The Man WhoButterworth on The Man Who Tue, May 10, 1994 – 25 · The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) · Newspapers.com

I think it only ran briefly in 1994 and we missed it then, so we sought out tickets for its return in the spring of 1995.

Janie and I found it fascinating and we liked the drama of it.