Swing
'Good Night Out presents the first full-length theatrical response to the General Election.'
Dylan Strain reviews it
Now, I do like my politics, I'd come up to London from Brighton for the show and a quickly devised new play based around the ConDems and our difficult financial climate, seemed quite exciting to me.
Combine, also, a double-award winning new pub theatre and director, Jamie Harper, with writer Dan Muirden and a cast, all with impressive CVs and a 'Good Night Out' is just what I was hoping for.
Connecting with its public, the play engaged this Sunday evening audience for the full hour and twenty.
A thirty-something couple, with a son to support, Jen & Tom are struggling financially. Tom's carpentry business isn't doing well. Enter a banker “friend” John, who Jen thinks is about to call for his share in the business and “shaft us”.
She's wrong. Here's one banker we're all keen to see: a reformed one, full of charisma, ready to help Tom and give something back to society. AWOL for two years, John is suddenly buzzing around the lives of Tom & Jen and their friends Simon & Kate.
Kate has a single sister Emma, to whom John recites Wordsworth, smoothing a path to a romantic relationship that twists, changes shape a few times, keeping us on our metaphorical toes until the end. Emma wants what the two couples have - how ironic.
The crux of the play centres around the two couples' sons, who happen to be best friends, just like their fathers. Their schools are failing. There are also too many immigrants who can't speak English and one of the boys is miserable there. Could the boys be split up, go to different schools or move together? What about a private school? Or a new “Big Society” Conservative, parent-run school. Could Jen, a teacher, teach at this new school, where there would be freedom from a claustrophobic curriculum, even if the funding comes partly from someone whom none of them approve of? And will they "secretly admit we'll vote Tory"?
The couples' marriages were already in trouble, but when it comes to what's best for your child and their education, what choices must be made?
The pace is excellent, short duologues moving along nicely, one after the other.
Come election night however, I was expecting the party to build into the first scene featuring all the characters together for the crescendo of the play. Whilst we did get a couple of bombshells, I had to be content with more of the same, which was a shame.
A few niggles. Some of the character's ages didn't make sense - why for example was Simon meant to be around 40, yet his best mate Tom looked about 30? As the play was devised with these actors, why didn't the actors just play their own ages, all right for the play in any case?
The set was like a dull bed-sit, with around a dozen blank boards on walls or by the sides, their significance firmly lost on me.
Bar the inclusion of the "A horse goes into a bar" joke, as Simon tries to make Kate laugh, which should be omitted immediately, the dialogue is believable throughout.
From a personal point of view I was disappointed the play didn't have any new ideas, vision or yearning beyond this ancient creaking three party system and state, totally past its sell by date? Not to mention capitalism itself.
This is however, still a strong ensemble piece and quite a good night out.
2 June 2010
Swing continues until June 12th at The Cock Tavern Theatre, Kilburn, London.