Ursula Strauss
A play within a play and a stage within a stage
There is something dated about this kind of long set piece, that is so obviously designed to be viewed as important. But the issue of high versus low art is as present today as it ever was. Just as Adorno decried the ‘low’ music of jazz, so today’s low art sometimes becomes tomorrow’s high art – something that Stoppard doesn’t seem to consider.
African suffering, Western trauma
The Zimbabwean characters in general simply stand around the stage speaking the words of the sometimes lengthy letters. Given the quirky and occasionally terrifying content of the letters, this seems a missed opportunity dramatically.
Qabuka
Immigrants’ tales are interspersed with an almost wordless tale of torture, attempted escape and failed asylum. The production is full of energy and inventiveness. Where it is less successful is in the emotional tone, which becomes increasingly jumbled as the show goes on.
Hear and Now
Despite the general pleasantness, the play lacks something of the emotional grip such a desperate situation should have. Maybe because it is too clear where the play is going - the revelation of the man’s secret (although the play does make the point that there are always more secrets).
The Royal Hunt of the Sun
By insisting so resolutely on the folly of various forms of belief Schaffer closes off some of the dramatic possibilities. I don’t think it’s director Trevor Nunn’s fault that the first half of the play never seems quite to take flight.
