BLUE ON BLUE: Lister: Haymarket Basingstoke to October 21st 2006

BLUE ON BLUE: Derek Lister
Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke, 6th – 21st October 2006.

Tues – Sats 7.30 pm;

Runs 2 hours 06 minutes: One Interval

Tickets 01256 465566: www.haymarket.org.uk

Review Mark Courtice: 19th October 2006

A moral desert
In the same week that Basingstoke's Haymarket Theatre presents Derek Lister's new play 'Blue on Blue', a coroner considering the death of Terry Lloyd, the ITN cameraman, finds 'friendly fire' (which the army call blue on blue) to be unlawful killing. You couldn't ask your local theatre to be more vital and relevant.

During the coalition invasion, the moral and ethical dilemmas of a group of journalists 'embedded' with the British army in Southern Iraq - they are billeted and travel with army units, reporting under their protection - are at the heart of the play. The journos' love lives (although important for the plot) are less successful, and a conspiracy thriller element redundant.

Elroy Ashmore's effective set with 4 wheel drive and satellite clutter under desert camouflage net convincingly gets the dust and dirt so you can feel it, while John Adams's neat, unshowy direction keeps things moving along well.

This is a place where the desert is moral as well as actual.

The performances are strong. As big name reporters, Michael Praed and Kathryn Pogson give the 'senior citizens of journalism' real fire and integrity as they face a young lion, and a glamorous anchorwoman representing a new view of news. Andrew Frame and Nicholas Bailey cope well with the rather thankless business of being the army/baddies.

This is sensible work with real integrity. It deals with important things, it's timely, and talented people have worked hard to ensure the play has been well served technically and artistically.

The citizens of Basingstoke have got used to this sort of thing. Sadly they are about to lose it. The local council plan (a final meeting on 31st October is a last chance to change their minds) to close the Haymarket for 7 months and then hand its management to the team from the local concert hall. No-one has got round to a business plan yet so it’s hard to see how this will 'keep the theatre' as council leader John Leek puts it. No-one appears to be promising to ‘keep producing theatre’.

Jude Kathryn Pegson
Capt. Mike Lagoe Andrew Frame
Poitrine Alexandra Staden
Neil Michael Praed
Greg Michael Colgan
Tyrone Nicholas Bailey

Director John Adams
Designer Elroy Ashmore
Lighting Designer Chris Flux
Assistant Director James Grant

2006-10-24 19:04:15