Pressure - David Haig - Touring 2018

There's no chance Summer and Smoke would go from a 325 seater to one almost quadruple the size. I suspect they'd wait for the Harold Pinter to become free in August. 

Aw, david thank you again (it was actually me rather than the illustrious Lynette, sorry to disappoint you!) A small world indeed, and proof once again that TheatreBoarders are the nicest people.

I am a big fan of David Haig too, but there a is very tiny part of me which is always expecting (hoping?!) that at some point he is going to burst into one of his 'hoity toity, namby pamby' Thin Blue Line rants!

It's called Breaking the Code by Hugh Whitemore. The excellent Daniel Rigby played Turing in Manchester, recreating a role originated by Derek Jacobi 30 years earlier in London's glittering West End. Although the title strongly references his wartime role, it's actually a biographical piece, from childhood to untimely death.

I thought this was riverting and my full review is on the blog viewfromthecheapseat.com/2018/04/04/pressure-park-theatre/.

I've always found Haig to be quite OTT in a lot of his comedy performances but he is a superb dramatic actor and crucially someone who clearly has written not only an engaging and tense story that is good for the audience to consume but also an excellent piece for actors (I can see this being performed by a lot of am dram companies as it is a solid ensemble piece). I hope Haig continues to write alongside his acting commitments.

With the production of Pressure and Photograph 51 at the Noel Coward a few years ago along with Quiz, it got me thinking about what other real life events would it be nice to see on stage or a stage adaption of films based on real life situations. A few spring to mind

The last few days of Maggie T at No 10
The Cuban MIssile Crisis
The discovery of the AIDS virus - could use the film And The Band Played On as the source material

Ask and ye shall receive - 13 days - the Cuban Misile crisis musical

Sorry to have missed you David..and Polly..but the Board was well represented this evening by Neil and me.
I really enjoyed this play and would recommend trying to see it before it goes to the West End where it might lose its intimacy. What a clever bloke David Haig is to recognise this moment's dramatic potential and to give it its full worth. Not to mention a juicy part for himself. Everyone v good and a simple set which works so well. I’ve read that some think it goes on ten minutes too long but I don’t think so, the calm ending is required to balance the frantic moments and to enable the reveal of character and to foresee the future for these characters. Some rather good mini monolgues and excellent funny bits.

When people have obviously worked hard to create this piece and bring it to life in an unassuming way but with such belief and talent it makes me even more annoyed to see how wasteful the NT is with its resources and the talent available to it. Rufus (Macbeth) I’m looking at you!

Initially what appears to be a 2D meteorological centric view on the impact of the weather on the D Day landings becomes a 3D tour de force on the intense burden on the decisions that have to be made made in war.

David Haig inhabits James Stagg completely, his integrity and convictions shine through along with the impossible pressure to make the right forecast despite the opposite view of his trusted adversary, the impact of cancellation on the war and the distraction of his home life.

The true heart of the play for me was the intense strain that Eisenhower brilliantly played by Malcolm Sinclair is under to make ‘the decision’, the moments after the decision is made and the whisky filled discussion is captivating, the description of the meeting with his beloved Airborne Division a true eulogy to the ones we send to war.

Well deserves its transfer to the West End, my advice is see it in the intimacy of the Park where you are able to inhabit and feel the tension in the room.

It was good to catch up with lynette who was equally appreciative when we caught up afterwards.

Thanks to those up thread who advised trying to catch this at the Park before it transfers... turns out I'm in town on the only day there was a ticket left! Must be fate. Now sold out.

I'm going in about 2 weeks' time. I decided I could squeeze in an extra play on Thursday afternoon 19/07. Anyone else seeing it the WE?

Theresa May(be, maybe not) seemed to enjoy it recently. Whether the cast were thrilled to see her is another matter.

I thought this was OK but very old-fashioned and clunky - lots of scenes with people standing in a line facing the audience, motionless waiting for someone to finish their line so they could say theirs. Reminded me of the kind of thing I used to see in rep theatre in the 70s.

And did the cast have to be entirely white? Presumably all the real-life characters were white but that's no excuse. Plus the way the events were presented bore little resemblace to what actually happened (see for instance www.lrb.co.uk/v16/n10/lawrence-hogben/diary, written by someone who was present). For a start there were six forecasters, one of whom was Norwegian (the inclusion of this would have made the evening feel a little less brexity). Lawrence Hogben who wrote the above article was born in New Zealand, was at Oxford University when war broke out and joined the Royal Navy. After the war...



Also it would have been nice if the women had anything to do other than come in with cups of tea and do typing (although the scene with the carbon paper was very impressive). Again this probably reflects the time, but since the play was historically bollocks, make something up.

If I've not managed to put you off ... I sat in row P which is I think the front row of lower price stalls tickets. There is a 50% off TodayTix offer so this was £15. View is OK from P as long as you don't have a tall person in front of you - the people in the two rows behind me had more of an issue.