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Presented by LS1
Under The Eagle
By Andrew Cartmel Directed by Conrad Blakemore
White Bear Theatre
19 February – 9 March, 2008
A review by Tanith Lindon for EXTRA! EXTRA!
Under the Eagle by Andrew Cartmel takes place over the course of a weekend at the British Prime Minister’s house. Notable guests include his wife, his deputy, the President of the U.S.A. and a hard-hitting political comedienne. A political clash arises over a British citizen – and suspected terrorist. There is a very pleasing balance inherent in this production, as we have three men, three women; half of those American, half English. (The PM’s American wife is an anglophile, so perhaps the odds are stacked slightly in the Brits’ favour …but who’s complaining!) The script and the actors’ skilful delivery provoke belly-laughs, yet the issues touched upon in the power-play between the two nations leaves you uneasy. The play is particularly striking in the use of language; much of the comedy blossoms through subtle word play (British PM: ‘How are your kids?’ US President: ‘They’re shooting up’) and is referred to frequently in relation to the UK/US clash. Unusual to find outside of novels; each character has something of their own lexicon. Steen-Mencken (Jonathan Rigby) is by far the most articulate, using his broad vocabulary to belittle weasly Chip (James Sobol Kelly) with the sneering wit that only the English upper classes can wield. The US President, known as ‘LRL’ (played by Angela Dixon) repeats phrases and anecdotes frequently (‘I don’t get jet-lag, I don’t get seasick!) and it seems that her rehearsed conversation is all part of the constant performance that her role demands. Dixon’s conservative appearance reinforces this idea of falsity, with French-polished nails, glossy lips and slightly-too-orange foundation – the ‘natural’ look that, in reality, takes hours to perfect. Angela Dixon plays the physical presence of LRL excellently, maintaining a brittle posture and tight perma-smile that only sporadically manages to mask her hardness. The British Prime Minister (played by David Morley Hale) is by comparison, far softer. We are privy to the loving relationship he has with his young wife (sensitively played by Eve Pearson) and he often seems more like a tired father than head of state, just wishing in vain that everyone would stop shouting. Feisty comedienne Vi (played by Francesca Anderson) manages to tread the line between grating sarcasm and admirable guts when it comes to her disdain for the weakness of certain politicians, and injects an unpredictable element into the setting. Chip reinforces the sense of American falseness established by LRL, spouting clichés and bogus war stories in a pathetic attempt to seduce Vi with his power and influence, and is branded (quite rightly) an ‘inflated fraud’ by her. Though some comparisons between Steen-Mencken and Chip’s dubious dealings in their jobs hold true, somehow you feel that Steen-Mencken (a.k.a. Hugo) has more integrity. Though both take immoral and/or illegal action out of ‘political necessity’, unlike Chip, Hugo is not a petty liar. When challenged, Hugo chooses to leave accusations unanswered. My accompanying friend remarked in surprise at how angry parts of the play had made him feel; something indicative of the hidden nerves that have been made raw in Britain since the onset of the Blair/Bush ‘special relationship’ (LRL compares England to a dog, ‘loyal, obedient, smart) and our tactics in recent years involving the war in the middle east. Under the Eagle is historically and politically well-informed, but avoids bogging down plot or character development with over-explanation. As a cast, the actors worked very well together, bringing to life onstage relationships that would have seemed unlikely on paper. Altogether, an insightful and entertaining production, and a must-see for the politically-minded.
The White Bear Theatre 138 Kennington Park Road, London SE11 4DJ Box Office: 020 7793 9193 (Leave a message with the number of tickets you wish to reserve and on which date)
Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm Sunday Matinee at 5pm Tickets £12 Concessions £10
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