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National
Anthems is at the Old Vic, Waterloo Road SE1
Tickets £10 - £40,
25 and unders £12
Booking to 23 April
Box office: 0870 060 6628
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National
Anthems (Old Vic)
Kevin
Spacey launched his Old Vic regime by directing Cloaca, a Dutch
play about male relationships, and now continues it by taking to
its stage for the first time since becoming artistic director in
another domestically orientated play, this time from America.
| "What
is, in essence, a taut little fringe play feels a little lost
and unduly inflated to fill the size of the Old Vic..." |
The
play is National Anthems, and Spacey first encountered it
in its present form when he appeared in a US regional production
of it over sixteen years ago.
But
while he may have clung on to it for the bravura star turn it affords
him at the play's centre, the pity is that writer Donald McIntyre
has only had his ambitions for the play realised from beyond the
grave.
For
in the 26 years between beginning its writing, as a one-act student
play, and his death in 1990, he saw it performed only in endless
readings, workshops and regional US stagings.
In
the process, however, some of its freshness and spontaneity may
well have dissipated.
close-up
intimacy
It's
no fault of the playwright, or of Spacey's dogged perseverance in
returning to it, that the play doesn't entirely live up to the hype
or hopes that are now being trailed in its wake.
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Edgily
brilliant: Kevin Spacey
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Here,
the upwardly mobile suburban aspirations of a lawyer and his teacher
wife are played off against those of a neighbour who makes an unannounced
visit.
But
what is, in essence, a taut little fringe play that might have read
more powerfully in the close-up intimacy of, say, the Donmar Warehouse,
feels a little lost and unduly inflated to fill the size of the
Old Vic.
Though
it sometimes feels stagey and contrived, it is nevertheless propelled
by a trio of strong performances.
Spacey
is edgily brilliant as the neighbour, while Mary Stuart Masterson
and Steven Weber are compulsively watchable as the couple facing
a long night's reckoning.`
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Agree
or disagree with our review? Add your thoughts below:
| Your
Comments |
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Nic
Saw this last night - what a waste of the old vic’s stage. The play is pointless and not in an absurdist life in meaningless sense. The characters are two dimensional and you really don’t care what happens to them. Occasionally the characters hit upon some deeper friction between each other but this not explored and the play remains very shallow. Kevin Spacey’s acting was good – but his lack of timing and control over the audience highlighted his technical inexperience on the London stage. Please we have standards here – lets not give a standing ovation based on past film work!
Richard
Saw the show last night. Four curtain calls and a standing ovation. Need I say more. Okay; wonderful performances from an excellent cast. Funny, touching, warm. A terrific night out.
Gemma
I really enjoyed this play. I have no idea why the critics have been so negative. It was acted beautifully, and all three actors had superb comic timing. I went with a large group of people and we all came out raving about it. Heartily recommended.
Ian Dennis
The play isn't nearly as bad as some critics have said. All the acting is brilliant, and Spacey's performance on Saturday 2 March was the most impressive piece of live acting I have ever seen. It clearly left him drained.
Claudia
I enjoyed this play very much. Mary Stuart Masterson was incredibly funny! Kevin Spacey overacted in certain scenes to much for my taste but was still interesting to watch.
Nick
Well acted but slow and a bit tedious. Was lacking any sparkle and was at best marginal. Have seen much better, however, Spacy was good if a bit self indulgent.
Cathy
I thoroughly enjoyed this play and thought all the performances were excellent. A joy to see an actor of Spacey's calibre up close.
Ceri
This play was superb, Mary Stuart Masterson was fantastic, and all the cast did a great job. The audience absolutely loved it.
Alun
This is one of the worst plays I have ever seen in a West End theatre and Spacey's self-indulgent performance is ridiculously hammy. Implausible, tedious and pointless. A waste of an evening.
Robert Warner
A gripping play powered by excellent performances. Don’t go expecting anything particularly deep and meaningful just sit back and be swept along by the acting master class provided by all three performers.
Rich Dudley
Absolutely fantastic. Charming, funny, but also gripping and emotional, the play really is worth catching. All of the cast excel in their roles. Truly awesome stuff.
Lisa Edwards
I don't think that the play needs the close intimacy of a smaller theater. Performances and the play are strong enough to connect the audience. It's a thriving play with solid performance from all three.
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