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IN-YER-FACE THEATRE

• What's been on...

in 2008

 

January 2008
Land of the Dead/Helter Skelter by Neil LaBute (Bush) Cracking double bill by American theatre's Mr Nasty: two couples struggle with the changes provoked by pregnancy - with shattering results. Excruciatingly in-yer-face. See it, feel it.
Happy Now? By Lucinda Coxon (National) Two happy families hit the buffers in this savagely contemporary account of the strains of parenting, and working. Instantly recognisable as a picture of Britain today: very funny, very painful, but very true.
White Boy by Tanika Gupta (Soho) Timely account of schoolgate bullying that leads to a teenage stabbing. If the story is rather banal, Gupta gives it a strong emotional punch, and this melodramatic National Youth Theatre production really rocks.
The Vertical Hour by David Hare (Royal Court) Nadia, an American war reporter turned academic, visits her boyfriend's father, Oliver, and they argue passionately about the War in Iraq, and about doing the right thing. Engrossing, if a touch verbose.

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February 2008
A Prayer for My Daughter by Thomas Babe (Young Vic) Hard day's night at a New York cop shop: four bruised male egos battle it out in Babe's superb 1978 psychological thriller in this smart revival by the Traverse theatre's Dominic Hill.
Scarborough by Fiona Evans (Royal Court) One northern bed and breakfast: two couples; two unsuitable relationships. Brilliantly staged dissection of gender and guilt, age and attraction. Both subtle and thought-provoking.
Artefacts by Mike Bartlett (Bush) When 16-year-old Kelly discovers that her father is an Iraqi, her world turns upside down; he gives her a priceless vase, but does he have a hidden agenda? Superbly told tale of loss and damage.
I'll Be the Devil by Leo Butler (Tricycle) Violence, sex and madness in 18th-century Ireland: a tough Bondesque indictment of the mental confusions of colonialism written as a response to Shakespeare's The Tempest, and staged by the RSC. Great.

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March 2008
A Couple of Poor, Polish-Speaking Romanians by Dorota Maslowska (Soho)
Two young people on a drug-fuelled, vodka-splashed road trip - which gives a vivid picture of contemporary Poland, using zany humour and surreality to good effect. Excellent.
Random by debbie tucker green (Royal Court) A freak knifing in a crowded street: tucker green's poetically insistent style pervades this strong and timely play, in which all the characters are played by one actress, Nadine Marshall.
Days of Significance by Roy Williams (Tricycle) Market-town England: as a binge-drinking night comes to an end, two young men prepare to go to war. Written as a response to Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, and staged by the RSC, this is thrill-ful.
Never So Good by Howard Brenton (National) Documentary drama about Harold Macmillan, the Conservative prime minister of the late 1950s, which shows what made Super Mac tick. This makes up in sympathy what it lacks in drama.

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April 2008
Wedding Day at the Cro-Magnons' by Wajdi Mouawad (Soho)
Dateline Beirut: in the middle of a Lebanese war zone, one family prepares for their daughter's wedding. But not everything is as it seems in this bleak, black farce.
Testing the Echo by David Edgar (Tricycle) What does the new citizenship test tell us about being British, or should that be English? Edgar's idea-packed and fact-spotted play is given an exciting production by Out of Joint. Both confusing (in a good way) and thrilling.
Small Change by Peter Gill (Donmar) Growing up working-class in Cardiff: Gill's 1976 classic, directed in this superb revival by the playwright himself, is beautifully written, deeply felt and a thoroughly engrossing experience.
Fram by Tony Harrison (National) Epic verse play by Britain's top poet starts off as a quirky docu-drama about the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen, and takes in the big questions of truth, charity and ecological collapse. Ambitious play that's best avoided.
Harper Regan by Simon Stephens (National) An emotional journey through bereavement to redemption in this powerful family drama: engrossing and entertaining. But is it convincing, and is the ending not a cop out?
Static by Dan Rebellato (Soho) When Sarah loses her husband Chris, her grief is intensified after she finds a compilation tape he left her. A fabulous mix of grim feelings and dizzy ideas, with great sounds. Love music, love Static.
Tinderbox by Lucy Kirkwood (Bush) Future-vision: England is crumbling but Little-Englanders are alive and well in this satire set in a butcher's shop. Despite some good gags, the piece is too long, too slow and too much.
The City by Martin Crimp (Royal Court) Welcome back to Crimpland: marital discord, collapsing narratives and children in danger. An anxious gem of a play by the master satirist of suburbia in a terrific production by Katie Mitchell.

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May 2008
Oxford Street by Levi David Addai (Royal Court)
Set in a Total Sport shop in Oxford Street, Addai's new play sizzles with lively dialogue and a fresh feeling for life: it also poses a moral dilemma for its troubled hero. Good stuff.
That Face by Polly Stenham (Duke of York's) Dysfunctional families: middle-class style. As Henry stays at home to look after his alcoholic mother, Mia misbehaves at boarding school. Stenham's ragged, original debut transfers to the West End. Go see.
Piranha Heights by Philip Ridley (Soho) Third in an informal trilogy about brotherly love, this thrilling mix of fantasy and sensation shows Ridley at the top of his game. It really trances: exciting stuff, you must see it. Is that clear enough?
The Pitmen Painters by Lee Hall (National) Dateline: 1934. A group of Ashington miners embark on a voyage of self-discovery when they start painting. Thrilling play of ideas from the creator of Billy Elliot. Moving, engaging, but also sentimental.

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June 2008
Fast Labour by Steve Waters (Hampstead) Focus on migrant labour: the rise and fall of Victor, a Ukrainian illegal who becomes a gang master in this epic tragedy that spans the length and breath of Britain. Politics with a human face.
Contractions by Mike Bartlett (Royal Court) What happens when your manager at work wants to control your private life? In this sharply written two-hander, Bartlett presents a dystopian vision of total surveillance. Turn in your grave George Orwell.
Relocated by Anthony Neilson (Royal Court) A child goes missing, a murderer is relocated and a middle-aged man kidnaps a woman: Neilson's dark mystery is a deliberately puzzling, nightmarish journey into the bleak heart of crime and conscience.
The Ugly One by Marius von Mayenburg (Royal Court) The inspirational Upstairs/Downstairs season begins with a return of this superb satire on society's obsession with appearances, the culture of beautification and careerism. And it is also a brilliantly theatrical fun event.
2,000 Feet Away by Anthony Weigh (Bush) Iowa: local Deputy Sheriff in small-town America has to enforce a new law which bans sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools. Joseph Fiennes stars in a subtle and deep piece of writing.
The English Game by Richard Bean (Kingston) An amateur Sunday cricket team take the field - and Bean subtlely paints a picture of how the Iraq war has split Britain, and how the national virtues of fair play and tolerance have are now under strain. Solid Headlong production: great fun.
Black Watch by Gregory Burke (Barbican) The now legendary account of Scottish masculinity and Blair's war finally marches into the metropolis. About time too. Based on interviews but written with a personal and muscular imagination. A must-see.

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July 2008
Frozen by Bryony Lavery (Riverside) Three individuals cope with the murder of a child by a serial killer. A superbly written, if sometimes harrowing evening, that raises difficult questions about guilt and individual responsibility. Solid revival.
Unstated by Fin Kennedy (Southwark) Focus on asylum: part docu-drama, part installation and part playlet, Kennedy's collaboration with director Topher Campbell denounces the horrors of the great British treatment of refugees.
The Frontline by Che Walker (Shakespeare's Globe) Camden, north London: panoramic view of how the mean streets shake with the howls and exaltations of the lost, the sad and the evil. Pity that the play is un-focused and over-ambitious for this difficult theatre space. Messy production.
Under the Blue Sky by David Eldridge (Duke of York's) Brilliantly observed and subtle look at three teacher couples - everything you ever wanted to know about love, sex and taking responsibility. Revival of Eldridge's 2000 play stars Catherine Tate and Francesca Annis.
Gone Too Far! by Bola Agbaje (Royal Court) The Upstairs/Downstairs season ends with this punchy account of wounded males and mouthy females on a sarf London estate. Two brothers explore their roots, and their own identities. Bijan Sheibani directs beautifully.
This Wide Night by Chloe Moss (Soho) Two ex-prisoners, Lorraine and Marie, get together after serving their time. Powerfully written, emotionally true and occasionally funny account of a pair of lonely women who eventually face the world with a quiet courage.

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August 2008
Enduring Freedom by Anders Lustgarten (Finborough)
The Finborough's season of new work kicks off with a story about the devastating effect of 9/11 on one couple, who watch as the neo-cons hijack their nation's grief. Powerful.

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September 2008
Liberty by Glyn Maxwell (Shakespeare's Globe) Paris during Year One of the French revolution: a stage version of Anatole France's Les Dieux ont soif offers a wry meditation on freedom and terror. Not exactly new writing, but a solid story effectively told.
Now or Later by Christopher Shinn (Royal Court) What price freedom of expression? On the eve of victory, the son of the US president elect finds that a student prank has serious repercussions. Typically intelligent account of religious and secular values that feels as timely as a news bulletin.
365 by David Harrower (Lyric, Hammersmith) Ca
n you talk about kids in the care system without being condescending, or coy? Yes, and here the National Theatre of Scotland bring the full force of their exuberant theatricality to bear on this difficult issue. Result: bit of a mess, but with some unforgettable moments.
The Girlfriend Experience by Alecky Blythe (Royal Court) Daily life in a seaside brothel: Blythe's verbatim piece is an honest and revealing account of real women in a relatively unknown corner of the sex industry. Well acted, thought-provoking and humane.
Leaving by Vaclav Havel (Orange Tree) The comeback kid: the retired Czech president, and former dissident playwright, finishes off the play he was working on in 1989, before the Velvet Revolution, a tale of political ineffectuality and loss of meaning, all wrapped up in surreality.
The Walworth Farce by Enda Walsh (National) Can family ills be cured by the power of storytelling? Ferocious, and ferociously funny, play from the Irish bard of homely claustrophobia. A truly fabulous piece of imaginative theatre from Druid. Yippie, and phew.

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October 2008
Shit-Mix by Leo Richardson (Trafalgar) Parklife: as Raggedy Anne dreams of love, and chats with Bent Ben, Lonely Boy is consumed with guilt about almost letting his brov die; meanwhile, Dirty Debbie is writing her first erotic novel. Oh dear, another me and my mates play.
How To Disappear Completely and Never Be Found by Fin Kennedy (Southwark) Branding exec Charlie descends into hell, and then makes a bid to change his fortune by swapping his identity: fascinating play which is both an exciting experiment with form and a caustic critique of the contemporary invisible economy.
Overspill by Ali Taylor (Soho) Place: Bromley. Time: Friday night. Three lads on the lash, downing pints and pulling girls, until a big bang in the town centre changes everything. Superb meditation on storytelling and the current culture of fear: and great theatrical fun too!

Faces in the Crowd by Leo Butler (Royal Court) Ten years after Sheffield-born Dave did a runner, saddling his wife Joanne with a mountain of debt, the couple meet again in London. Now Joanne wants something from Dave that he finds rather hard to give. Emotionally excruciating in an in-yer-face way! Great.
To Be Straight with You by DV8 (National) Lloyd Newson's choreographical skills hold hands with verbatim theatre in this word-heavy (and I mean heavy) and rather didactic piece about homophobia. Despite the depressing evidence of a world of hatred, this manages to be quite a good night out.
Follow by Dameon Garnett (Finborough) Liverpudlian teen angst: Blake and Reece are two 16-year-olds living with Gary, Blake's dad. Blake is already a dad himself, and when Reece gets mixed up in a drug deal, things can only get worse. Small play about me and my mate and my dad.

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November 2008
Lucky Seven by Alexis Zegerman (Hampstead)
Three kids from three different social groups are selected for a TV documentary, and meet at seven-year intervals: how have they changed, and does class determine their lives? A lovely comedy about hope.

The Long Road by Shelagh Stephenson (Soho) After the murder of their son in a random knife attack, one middle-class family have to learn to cope with his death. Can meeting the boy's imprisoned killer help to heal the pain? A compelling study of class, agony and forgiveness.
Gethsemane by David Hare (National) Our greatest political playwright does it again: a beautifully written, intellectually compelling and emotionally powerful play about New Labour, and about life at a time when there's no right way to behave. Great stuff.
I Caught Crabs in Walberswick by Joel Horwood (Bush) Sleepy Suffolk wakes up in this slice of rural life, seen mainly through the wide eyes of three sixteen-year-olds, Wheeler, Fitz and Dani. Small, but beautifully, even lovingly, narrated and acted.

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December 2008
The Pride by Alexi Kaye Campbell (Royal Court) Can time heal the repressed spirit? Debut play looks at two triangular relationships between a gay couple and a straight woman, 50 years apart, in 1958 and 2008. Liberal politics, but rather traditional images of gay life.
August: Osage County by Tracy Letts (National) Monster play about a family showdown in smalltown America, it's a trad drama that both sprawls and sparkles in equal measure. As a picture of the USA, this Tony-award-winning Steppenwolf production is bleak but not unpersuasive.

50 Ways To Leave Your Lover at Christmas by Leah Chillery, Ben Ellis, Stacey Gregg, Lucy Kirkwood, Ben Schiffer and Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (Bush) Hail the alternative seasonal show! A wild series of gobby and satirical sketches about love, hate and all the other emotions in between, all performed by a crack cast. What's not to like? Hey-ho.

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