Some thought provoking theatre...
All of the performances i have seen in the part 5 days have brought home the message of equality in the workplace.
On Saturday I enjoyed the 5th James Graham play I have seen in the last 3 years (they are all fantastic). I popped up to Birmingham to experience This House at the Birmingham Rep (a truly splendid theatre with good views and lots of leg room). As usual I was not disappointed. It was a clever and witty drama up there with all the very best theatre I have experienced. The final scenes were rather tragic, indeed the whole show was a rather moving experience not to mention an interesting insight into the behind the scenes back and forth between the whips’ offices. Whilst not the same level as Ink (which I feel to be head and shoulders Graham’s best play) it was a funny, witty experience with interesting staging and passionate actors. Particularly of interest was the look at the evolution of the make up of the political parties. Working class individuals were joining the Tories, the labour party was evolving to be more then just the party of the trade unionists and more women were joining Parliament with the first female whip and the first female party leader coming in during this period. Catch it if you can.
The set of This House. Buying a seat on the green benches is an option...
On Monday I caught Rasheeda Speaking at the Trafalgar Studios. It was an interesting play set over four days in an office environment. The show was a look into racism in the workplace as a doctor and one secretary conspired to rid themselves of the other secretary. Where it was going was not immediately apparent, indeed it took a while for the title of the play to become clear, and there were some rather unexpected twists and turns as the story progressed. There were some good moments and it kept my interest, but I was left unsatisfied by the conclusion, it felt unfinished. Almost like we needed a Friday to go along with the Monday-Thursday scenes. Maybe that s the idea, there is still a lot to be done to solve this issue...
The new statue stands proudly unveiled with it's prominent banner.
Finally, not actual theatre, but a decent performance nonetheless, I spent Tuesday morning in Parliament Square watching the unveiling of the Millicent Fawcett Statue (it was a votes for woman filled morning for me as I had spent the two hours before leading a suffragette tour of Parliament, a great way to spend a Tuesday). Both the singing at the beginning and end of the ceremony was excellent (I look forward to catching the new suffragette musical later this year). The selection of speeches from various prominent stakeholders were perhaps a little dry, but well executed and emphasised some very important points. It is so good to finally have a statue of a woman in Parliament Square. A very small, but prominent step in redressing the massive imbalance of genders celebrated in our society. The whole morning had a lovely cheerful atmosphere (the only downside was a very tall man with grey hair in front me who blocked a lot of my view). When next you are in central London you really should check it out.
My view for much of the ceremony before I was able to squeeze to one side...