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Presented by Chantelle Staynings & Neil McPherson

PLAGUE OVER ENGLAND

Jasper Britton and Leon Ockenden

By Nicholas de Jongh

Directed by Tamara Harvey

Finborough Theatre

27th February – 22 March 2008.

Ibsen Sta

uzens

A review by Barry Grantham for EXTRA! EXTRA!

This is a good play and largely very well acted, but during the interval as I relieved myself in the gentleman’s toilet at the Finborough Theatre, my mind was not occupied with the play or the acting but more with the events and circumstances that provided the basis for Mr de Jongh’s new play.   The reference to my bodily functions is not gratuitous but germane to the matter in hand (pardon the unintended pun) for it evolves around that incident back in 1953 when Sir John Gielgud was arrested for importuning in a public convenience.  I was thinking how careful I would have to have been at that time that my nod to the man taking my place at the urinal could not possibly be misconstrued.   Cottaging is a somewhat murky pursuit and the methods of the police at that time despicable, and the legal battle between the old guard and the decriminalization lobby might be considered tedious, but from this material Nicholas de Jongh has created an intelligent, entertaining and occasionally amusing play. 

It is an intellectual rather than an emotional play, but contains some truly moving moments, as when Gielgud waits in the wings to make his first appearance in front of an audience, since his conviction. This is almost a repeat of an earlier scene but director and/or writer change the angle from which we view the moment, and the result is a piece of pure theatre which I hope to treasure for many years to come.

Within a few moments of ‘curtain going up’ one is aware that both actors and audience can relax in the hands of a skilful and experienced playwright. And a few further minutes on and we know that we are in for some equally good acting, with – and, what a relief - an exact tailoring of the vocal and emotional pitch to the ambience of the small auditorium. Now, I must admit that I found the more mature performers considerably better than the callow youths.  At least it is better this way round for the callow youths have plenty of time to work on their art.  How pleasant it is that acting is one of the few professions where there is the chance to improve with age – Gielgud himself a prime example.

As an unrepentant heterosexual I do find it difficult to imagine how one man can be attracted to another sexually, but I can appreciate the possibility of genuine love between man and man. It is in this context that I found some of the love scenes totally unconvincing and with a line like “ I think I love you”, I had to restrain myself from calling out “No, I don’t think you do” 

Of the mature group I include (in spite of very youthful photos in the programme) Jasper Britton as Gielgud himself and Nichola McAuliffe as Sybil Thorndike who, without descending to caricature turn in convincing portraits. (I knew both of the originals, ever so slightly – Sybil - what a sane old girl she was and Gielgud had a surprising and endearing humility). I must go further – they give quite wonderful portraits of two rather remarkable people.    

JasperBrittonand and NicholaMcAuliffe

Though I single out for mention a couple of the actors, (and I should have remarked on a good restrained performance from Timothy Watson) this is a team play and as such deserves praise. The direction (Tamara Harvey) is excellent and sometimes inspired  - a couple make love down-stage as the machinations of bureaucracy are enacted  behind them.   The setting ingenious (Alex Marker) with book flats opening to reveal a sleazy 1950.s bar, a gentleman’s book-lined study, a theatre dressing room, and most impressive, a tiled and marble urinal, the pride of its attendant (the versatile David Burt). I feel I must share the memory of another toilet, ( it may be a long time before I get another opportunity) the artistic creation of its elderly guardian, who adorned it with some thirty gilt framed reproductions of the works of Turner, Gainsborough  Velázquez, Rubens, Raphael, and Michaelangelo to the delight of its clientele. It survived beneath St Paul’s, Covent Garden, and was tolerated by the authorities for some years until a new order swept it and its creator from the scene.

To return to Plague over England do go and see it.  That other seminal incident, the trial of Oscar Wild has received copious dramatic and cinematic exposure, and Nicholas de Jongh has done well to focus attention on the Gielgud conviction in a play that deals with it sympathetically, and dramatically. I trust that the play and the company will enjoy extended performances.    Do support the Finborough in its policy of furthering the cause of new and interesting drama.

SimonDutton and JasperBritton

 Finborough Theatre

 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED

Tuesday to Saturday Evenings at 7.30pm.

Saturday & Sunday Matinees at 3.0pm.

Box Office: 0844 847 1652. 

Book on line: www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk

Tickets:  £15 Concessions £11. Tuesdays all seats £11.

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