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Giant Steps
Finborough Theatre
6 - 30 Aug 08
A review by Alan Taylor for EXTRA! EXTRA!
Enduring Freedom follows the story of one couple split by the death of their son in the tragic 9/11 attack. Tom, his father, blames the government whereas his mother Susan tries to let go. In a never-ending quest for ‘the truth’, is it the case that the truth will set us free? And how did such a tragedy impact on the people of America? Set in New Jersey from 2001 to 2004, it tracks the progress of a nation in grief. A topic that you may think has been rinsed and done to death is actually, and very interestingly, bringing a resurgence of Socialism in North American performance. From Laurie Anderson’s very recent work ‘Homeland’, to this- Lustgarten’s new venture- we see that the injustice of 9/11 has sparked the fire of rebellion. Lustgarten does an incredible job of bringing the perspective of the American people to Britain. From afar, as much empathy as we may have for one tragedy, the sheer terror stricken panic is brought out in this piece. When Linda cries, “My brother’s dead and I’m scared. I’m scared because people hate us,” it brought it down to the basic level of the thing we forgot most in 9/11; the people. Everyone was caught up in the politics, the blame and the terrorist conspiracy, that we forget that the world’s ills were being blamed on 248 million people who probably just wanted to get on with their lives. A strong and very experienced cast hammer the job home with Anna Savva (Sophia/ Linda/ Jessica), doing a brilliant job of not only playing different roles, but emphasising how difficult it was for the most happy-go-lucky people to ‘get on with it’. Fiz Marcus is quietly confident and strong, with Lisa Eichorn as Susan softening everything out. The remarkable cast of actors bring maturity and emotional integrity to the piece. Led by director Roland Jaquarello, his confident interpretation brings power to the piece. The set design by Vanessa Hawkins brings a really interesting aspect to the play. Based around a wooden American flag in black and white, with the white paint dripping down imperfectly, it represents the dichotomy between right and wrong. The flag is deconstructed into different wooden blocks throughout the play, and represent an interesting and inventive use of stage blocks. Touching, yet inspiring and full of impact, it was hard for me to stop myself crying out “Yeah” or “You said it!” at certain points in the play, due to its political poignancy. However, you won’t feel patronised or alienated as Lustgarten manages to paint the picture in a very real and relevant way. An incident that has touched all of our lives in a big or a small way, this is the kind of inspired art that comes from such a devastating political statement. Powerful new writing with an absolutely crystal clear point, Enduring Freedom brings the heart of injustice into a productive forum.
Enduring Freedom is playing until the 30th August
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