PRAVDA till 14 Ocrober
PRAVDA: Howard Brenton and David Hare
Chichester Festival Theatre with Birmingham Rep Theatre
Runs: 2h 30m, one interval, Birmingham Rep till 14 October
Review: Rod Dungate, Birmingham Rep, 2nd October 2006-10-04
Funny, fast moving, and something to say
Howard Brenton and David Hare call their play ‘a reader’s revenge’ on the British press. Well, revenge I suppose it is; it certainly points out oodles of nasty goings-on and few good things. Indeed it demonstrates that any potential for good is squashed in the drive for profit and circulation figures.
A loose story of Kiwi entrepreneur Lambert Le Roux taking over a tabloid, then a local newspaper, then The Victory (aka The Times), then a left-wing paper so he can close it down, enables the writers to bring in front of us a whole range of editors, journalists, union men, members of the aristocracy and establishment, and do-gooders. However, all fall victim one way or another to megalomaniac Le Roux. According to Hare and Brenton, the last thing any of these people is interested in (nearly any) is news or truth; their play title is decidedly ironic.
Just over 20 years since it was first performed, the play is as great a romp as ever. Not just a romp, though; one that’s intelligent, tough and packs a punch, Communications technology may have changed but the only big difference between then and now is, I suspect, that journalists are even more concerned with their own status and public personas now than they were in ’84.
Roger Allam drives the play along as Le Roux; highly energised he’s exhausting and terrifying. We’re spoilt for choice by a host of inventive comedic performances, among them, Bernard Lloyd’s worldly Bishop, Bruce Alexander’s Victory editor, Elliot Fruit-Norton and Michael Begley’s Eaton Sylvester. And not forgetting John Woodvine’s Sir Stamford Foley, union man Jack ‘Breaker’ Bond, and quite outrageous Waiter.
The production spins along, dragging us kicking, screaming and laughing with it, in Jonathan Church’s vigorous production within Ruari Murchison’s flexible settings.
Rebecca Foley: Zoe Waites
Andrew May: Oliver Dimsdale
Cindy: Gwendoline Christie
Harry Morrison: Bernard Lloyd
Hamish McLennan: Pip Donaghy
Youth Opportunity Worker: Lydia Griffiths
Bill Smiley: Alex McIntosh
Moira Patterson: Lynn Farleigh
Sir Stamford Foley: John Woodvine
Lambert Le Roux: Roger Allam
Michael Quince MP: Alistair Petrie
Eaton Sylvester: Michael Begley
Dennis Payne: Nigel Hastings
Elliot Fruit-Norton: Bruce Alexander
Waiter: John Woodvine
The Bishop of Putney: Bernard Lloyd
Ben Silk: Colin Mace
Cliveden Whicker-Baskett: Nigel Hastings
Mike ‘Whipper’ Wellington: Alistair Petrie
Doug Fantorn: Colin Mace
Larry Punt: Christopher Logan
Jack ‘Breaker’ Bond: John Woodvine
Leander Scroop: Nigel Hastings
Cartoonist: David Hayler
Princess Jill: Lynn Farleigh
Donna Le Roux: Gwendoline Christie
Ian Ape-Warden: Christopher Logan
Hannon Spot: Pip Donaghy
Bert: David Hayler
with
Graeme Braidwood, Ian Farnell, Phil Jones, Zak Lee, Kieragh Osgood
Director: Jonathan Church
Designer: Ruari Murchison
Lighting Designer: Chris Ellis
Composer: Matthew Scott
Sound Design: Dan Hoole
Choreographer: Jenny Arnold
Fight Coach: Terry King
Dialect Coach: William Conacher
2006-10-04 20:21:36