Finally, The King's Speech was seen! It is a good movie, but not the best. However, I loved to see many real life people portrayed (amongst others, Churchill, Mrs Simpson, Chamberlain), many actors I saw recently on stage (for example, Derek Jacobi playing Archbishop earlier this week was king Lear on the Donmar stage), fashions and men's haircuts, exquisite décors and the inside life of the royal family.
King Lear completely sold out even before it started. The main reason for this that it was Jacobi's career defining performance. As you know, I am not a big fan of Shakespeare, but my friend Zois assured me that this was 'a once in a lifetime experience'. So thanks to the Discovery scheme I managed to acquire a ticket last week before the end of the run. In deed, the performances were excellent, and could admire Shakespearian language, but I wasn't gripped. I was definitely gripped by The Knowledge at the Bush. A simple story of a new teacher struggling with a difficult class and her career was written so well by John Donnelly and performed brilliantly by the cast, that I didn't want the night to end. The play contains the essential ingredient for a good play about contemporary issues – sharp humour. That is what is lacking in Greenland – a play about climate change written in collaboration by four playwrights at the National. On a bare stage an ensemble of 15 actors show us separate stories of different people something to do with the climate change – eco-warriors, politicians, scientists, etc. There were a lot of moralising and fact-providing, but after two hours I left without any new information or enjoyment of dramatic experience. In fact, I left with a miserable thought that we are all doomed.
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