HAPGOOD till 24 May.
Leeds.
HAPGOOD
by Tom Stoppard.
(Joint Production: Birmingham Rep and West Yorkshire Playhouse.)
Wesrt Yorkshire Playhouse (Quarry Theatre) To 24 May 2008.
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat Thu 1.30pm & Sat 2pm.
Audio-described 22 May 7.30pm, 24 May 2pm.
BSL Signed 20 May.
Captioned 21 May.
Runs: 2hr 30min One interval.
TICKETS: 0113213 7700.
www.wyp.org.uk
Review: Rod Dungate 15 April at Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
What a delight!
I gather HAPGOOD hasn’t been performed in the UK since 1988 when it was first written; watching the Rep’s revival it’s hard to understand why. It’s true you have to put your brain into gear to get the full value and a scant knowledge of quantum mechanics helps; but therein lies the fun. Actually, Stoppard builds in most of the quantum mechanics you need, so you don’t really even need to worry about that.
The point about particles (the minute items studies in quantum physics) is that they don’t follow the normal physical rules. For instance, they can seem to be in two places at once; if you know where a particle is you can’t know in what direction it’s travelling and if you know in what direction it’s travelling you can’t know where it is; a particle can pass through an impermeable membrane. And so on. I’m told that if particles couldn’t do these things our televisions wouldn’t work but I must take that on trust.
Stoppard takes these principles and bases a spy story on them. The result is as dottily unreal as the quantum reality. The whole is made even more delicious in Stoppard’s portrayal of the English upper class spook world.
Rachel Kavanaugh’s production moves with relaxed vigour. And there are some marvellous performances.
Josie Lawrence and John Hodgkinson are both outstanding. Lawrence plays Hapgood aka Mrs Hapgood (‘The title is a courtesy’) aka Mother; she runs the spy network with the same county heartiness with which she’d coach a hockey team. Hodgkinson plays a Russian double (triple? quadruple?) agent, Kerner, who’s also a scientist. He’s tantalisingly reserved, distanced from his own actions – as a scientist would be. But he lights up when he explains science’s beauty; it’s beautiful.
Much to be admired too, is Christopher Ettridge’s Blair, the Spy Master. His cut glass Englishness miraculously merges cool cucumber and icy steel.
Hapgood: Josie Lawrence.
Blair: Christopher Ettridge.
Kerner: John Hodgkinson.
Ridley: David Birrell.
Wates: Steve Toussaint.
Maggs: Ross Armstrong.
Merryweather: Paul Westwood.
Russian: Peter F Gardiner.
Joe: Steven Harvey / David Herriotts
Director: Rachel Kavanaugh.
Designer: Colin Richmond.
Lighting Designer: Tim Mitchell.
Composer: Catherine Jayes.
Sound Designer: Dan Hoole.
Dialect Coach: Sally Hague.
2008-04-16 20:04:24