The End Of History… by Jack Thorne, Royal Court Theatre, 29 June 2019

The play takes place over two decades, starting in 1997 soon after the Blair government took power. It is a chamber play about a nuclear family, the parents being firmly of the left.

The Royal Court resource for this play/production can be found here.

We saw a preview of this play/production and were both really taken with it.

It is hard to explain why this play is so good. It’s just beautifully well written. All of the characters are flawed and yet likeable. We wanted to know what was going to happen to all of them.

The acting is top notch. Lesley Sharp has been a favourite of mine for several decades. David Morrisey is also always good value. Indeed all of the cast were fine actors and well suited to their roles.

No gimmicks – it’s simply a super production of a very interesting new play.

Formal reviews, once they come out, will be available through this link.

If you get the chance to go see it…go see it.

Meanwhile, the drama of our evening was only just beginning when the curtain call was taken. We’d agreed to go on to Jo and Sheyda’s cyber party in Tottenham – another story for another blog piece – except that we decided to change into our gear at the Royal Court.

Having checked with the staff, we ascertained that none of the loos are designated by gender any more; they are designated as “urinals and cubicals” or “cubicals only”, so we would be welcome to change in the outer area of the cubicles one.

But when Janie and I went through the “cubicals only” door together, several women in that area started hissy-fitting. How very unwoke and cis-gendered that incident was.

Still, we retired to the relatively pokey but safer space of the disabled toilet to transform ourselves into cyber-folk:

The End Of History…Hertory…Theytory?

The Pass by John Donnelly, Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, 18 January 2014

I recall Janie wondering why we had booked this, when we reminded ourselves on the day about what we were going to see. A play about footballers and sex and stuff.

Here is a link to the Royal Court resource on The Pass.

Actually we both really enjoyed this play; it was full of energy, with a good mix of entertainment and issues to think about. Janie and I found lots to talk about afterwards.

Here is a link to a search term that digs out the reviews and stuff.

Here is the promo and explanatory vid:

I think we kept it simple foodwise after this one, with either sharwarmas from Ranoush or perhaps Mohsen for Iranian food.

 

 

Be Near Me by Andrew O’Hagan & Ian McDiarmid, Donmar Warehouse, 24 January 2009

We’re big fans of Ian McDiarmid. We think he worked wonders running the Almeida with Jonathan Kent and he is a fine actor to boot. He is also a nodding acquaintance of mine in Notting Hill Gate (although, writing in April 2017, it is a while since I have seen him around).

But in truth I don’t think this play/production did much for us. It all felt a bit grim. It sounded like it might be a bit like a Bergman movie, but ended up a rather drab stage equivalent.

The play/production is well described on Official London Theatre – click here.

No doubt this did well when National Theatre of Scotland took it touring north of the border.

No record of what we ate afterwards, but I’ll guess we went to May’s place (Shanghai Knightsbridge) to take away some yummy Chinese grub.

 

Gagarin Way by Gregory Burke, Cottesloe Theatre, 28 September 2001

Janie and I must have been very keen to see this one – a rare sojourn to the South Bank on a Friday evening for us. In those days we still found it hard to finish our work on a Friday and get to a place like the National Theatre in good time. We had both strategically kept the afternoon light, appointment-wise, I can see.

I believe we saw a preview at the Cottesloe, but the production had already stormed-it at Edinburgh a few week’s earlier.

I liked it, Janie hated it.

Split jury. That said, I recall that we were both a little disappointed by this play/production. Not that I thought it was poor – I liked it – but I recall us both thinking that it didn’t quite live up to the hype.

Fine cast, direction and production, as you might expect. Billy McElhaney, Michael Moreland, Michael Nardone, and Maurice Roëves starred, John Tiffany directed. Here is a link to the Theatricalia entry.

Charles Spencer gave the Edinburgh run a glowing review in the Telegraph…

Gagarin, Spencer Telegraph Gagarin, Spencer Telegraph 10 Aug 2001 The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

…as did Susannah Clapp in The Observer:

Gagarin Clapp Observer Gagarin Clapp Observer 12 Aug 2001 The Observer (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Roll the clock forward a few weeks and a few hundred miles south. Michael Billington somewhat summed up why he felt that Gagarin Way didn’t work so well just a few weeks later at The National.

Gagarin Billington Guardian Gagarin Billington Guardian 6 Oct 2001 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com

Nicholas de Jongh in the Standard echoed those Billington sentiments:

Gagarin de Jongh Standard Gagarin de Jongh Standard 4 Oct 2001 Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com