Harold Pinter Theatre

This show is packed with excellence. Uniformly strong performances and a thoughtful, tense script that makes the most of resonances with current-day American politics have turned a great movie into a terrific piece of theatre. The ever-present station clock stands centrally, high above the action, beating down on the stage like the noon sun and inexorably ticking down in (almost) real time to the moment of Kane's seismic confrontation with Miller, while superb lighting and stage effects join in to create the suffocatingly dry dusty heat of New Mexico. This is a parable about the cost of doing the right thing, and without giving any spoilers, it sidesteps the all-too-neatly packaged ending of the 1952 movie and replaces it with an ambivalent denouement that is a million miles away from neat. Some of the choices of music were a little odd, anachronistic, or even jarring, but did not detract from the whole show. My only advice would be to go and see this now.

I was wary of seeing this play as the original movie is a favourite. I was really glad I went as it’s a moving, well acted interpretation. A good but simple staging, lovely use of music. The script brings out the conflicts of the roles really well. The use of the clock hanging central stage is a neat edition.

Doesn’t matter if you haven’t seen the original 1952 movie. This production is very powerful. I loved the clock in real time. And the tension at the end was palpable. Very good cast. Infact excellent. And if you’re a fan of The Morning Show you’re in for a real treat. However the stand out performance for me was the young Deputy Sheriff. Had a drink problem but was never drunk. If you know what I mean. Amazing. 10/10