The Labour of Love

This is a play which is an insight into British politics which often gets overlooked; the constituency. The whole production is staged in the constituency office of David Lyons MP (Martin Freeman), a stalwart of the Labour party, who has served this constituency for 27 years, and is about to go to his election count in 2017. Meanwhile Tamsin Greig plays his irascible constituency agent. Together the two of them, an alliance of old Labour and new Labour, make for some very compelling theatre. A spotlight is also shone on the ropy relationship between MP and local party.

James Graham gives us a fascinating insight into the last 30 years of the Labour party and, to a lesser extent, all British politics for that period. Theatre and AV is blended together, we are shown clips of the party leaders and major characters throughout modern political history in between scene changes. The different relationships; the MP’s wife, the leader of the local council, a local activist turned councillor, all added dynamism to a rapidly changing plot. It is a delightful tale spanning the decades.

I am a big fan of Graham’s work having enjoyed both Monster Raving Looney and Ink previously. I feel this play does not appeal to as broad a spectrum as Ink, as it does require some niche British political knowledge to get many of the jokes and references. Someone not intimately acquainted with British politics would I feel appreciate the spectacle, but would lose much of the nuance. But for its target audience, those who lived through these times, and experienced these politicians and changes first hand, it is a wonderful walk down memory lane.