Thoughts to Come

Yes, I’ve seen the Vertical Hour, and I’ll post about it soon. In short I thought it simplistic and reductive, with the second act being much more bearable (less political, though there were moments), though the first act sent me to sleep. I’m just not a fan of Sir David Hare of late, I think he is smug and pretentious, plus taking the easy route and preaching to the converted. Also, in this production casting was a problem, I saw Bill Nighy, and poor Anton Lesser doesn’t compare in the charm stakes (which in a way is good, because I think the character is nasty and brutish in a refined English Middle Class sort of way).

I must also mention the new LaBute plays at the Bush in detail at some point. Whilst I like some of LaBute’s work, and thought there were merits to this latest production (particularly the superior Land of the Dead, a 20 minute short), I also think his self regard is a little bit too high of late. Really Neil, you’re not reinventing the genre, you are writing interesting essentially domestic dramas, with bigger themes transposed onto them. You are not writing Brechtian epics or state of the nation pieces (even if you might aspire to the latter).