Having managed to wangle a couple of front-row seats, my fellow reviewer Perry de Havilland and I made our way eagerly to Central London to witness the latest production of Lefties Labour’s Lost presented by the Stop The War Theatre Company.
I always enjoy open-air theatre, especially when it’s high farce. But, from the opening curtain, I had the uncomfortable feeling that this effort was not going to live up to my expectations.
I was impressed by the large, ensemble cast made up of a motley collection of old communists, new communists, greens, Islamists, socialists, peaceniks, beatniks, trade unionists, padres, cadres and a troupe of folk dancers from Somerset. As the drama unfolded, I thought I recognised some of the faces in the Chorus and, indeed, upon checking my notes, I was pleased to be able to confirm that much of the cast had been recruited from the highly successful ‘Anti-Globalisation World Tour’.
Doubtless bonded by that experience, the director must have hoped that this cameraderie would add an extra dynamism to this production but, if that was the intention, then I regret to report that it was not achieved. The cast ambled through their paces determinedly but without much in the way of conviction leaving the audience with a sense of spectacle but nothing memorable.
The script was a total let-down. Directors of future productions should take note that drearily familiar lines such ‘No war for oil’ and ‘Drop Bush not bombs’ have to be delivered with pep and brio in order to have any impact at all. As it was, the cast opted for mere dismal repetition. This will not do. I was left with the impression that, perhaps, the best of their energies had been left in rehearsal.
Kudos must be accorded to the costume designer for splendid authenticity. Everywhere we looked there were muddy browns, washed-out blacks, dull greens and quite the most dizzying array of woolly caps imaginable. Many of the costumes were so profoundly soiled that , I do declare, they stood up and marched about on their own. An eye for this kind of detail is always appreciated.
Alas, it was not enough to rescue the piece which from terminal mediocrity. A flat and pedestrian rendition from an institutional cast lacked the oh-so important quality of spine-tingling zest necessary to truly move an audience. The kindest thing I can say about the direction is that is was formulaic; utterly devoid of anything approaching a radical innovation.
By the interval, both Mr.de Havilland and I were hard put to stay awake and, indeed, we both slipped out quietly before the final curtain.
Notwithstanding the plethora of pre-publicity, this performance fails to live up to its billing. There is some sound, surprisingly little fury and, in the final analysis, it signified nothing. I predict a short run.
The United Nations is the new Princess Diana.
A new shibboleth to worship in an unreasoning enthusiasm.
Their response:
“Iraqis: feel your pain. We are with you. You do not have to fear war because we will ensure you live in peace”. etc. etc.
I won’t mention Henri Paul, oops, just did!
David:
I think you may be indulging in wshful thinking. As far as the media coverage was concerned, the important things for the demonstrators to get across were: (1) how many people took part, and (2) how “normal” they were, how many “we’re demonstrating for the first time” people there were involved. They scored two out of two.
Had the demo been more “dramatic” it would almost certainly have been less successful.
The importance of a demo is not what it looks like close up, it’s the wider impact it has via the media. This one looked like a success to me, and media references to it will surely run and run.
Brian,
I am calling it as I saw it. I was expecting a bit more fire. What I witnessed felt dutiful rather fervent.
I am not responsible for the way the broadcasters protray it and, please bear in mind, they are highly inclined to give it the most positive spin they can muster. What you are seeing on the BBC is what they want you to see.
David:
I know that the BBC shows me, as always, what it wants to show me.
But political propaganda has to deal with media realities, helpful or unhelpful. Had the problem faced by the organisers of this demo been to persuade the media to pay any attention to it at all (as it was for the Countryside Alliance demo for example) then indeed it would have made sense for more “drama” to have been stirred up, e.g. by the leading speakers.
As it was, they knew that all they had to do was to get as many peole as they could to show up for the TV cameras, and then try to avoid “drama”, of the wrong kind and of the sort that the news people would not all have been able to resist.
I don’t doubt the accuracy of your observations. I do dissent from your apparent belief that the demo organisers were being foolish in the way they went about things, and did not get the result they wanted.
Thinking about it some more, I realise that the above comment explains how I interpret today’s events, but not why I think it matters how we interpret them.
The trouble with David’s report is that American blogreaders will get from it the idea that the demo was the work of unrepresentative lunatics, and that “Britain”, as opposed to Blair, is fully behind what they are about to do to Saddam.
But I’m afraid that Britain is anything but united behind Blair and Bush. Of course the usual suspects were present at this demo in strength. But so, according to those horrid media who only tell us what they want to tell us, were half a million other people, minimum, which is a record for a London demo.
It’s important that Americans appreciate what a limb Blair is going out on, on their behalf, and on behalf of the Iraqi people.
Brian
I endorse your wider view here but, once again, the post does not relate to the whole war issue. It is merely my impressions of the march in London today as I saw it.
Maybe this show of numbers will produce great ripples but, from where I stood, it looked like the rent-a-mob who were smashing up McDonalds last year plus a lot of Muslims.
Were there really a half-million people there?
Since the demise of the evil soviet empire 12 years ago the lefties did not have such a big, bad, murderous tyrant to demonstarate for.
Did you see any Free Mumia posters?
Did you see any Free Mumia posters?