The Last of the Haussmans

Synopsis

Rory Kinnear, Helen McCrory and Julie Walters star in The Last of the Haussmans, a new play by Stephen Beresford, directed by Howard Davies.

Anarchic, feisty but growing old, high society drop-out Judy Haussman remains in spirit with the Ashrams of the 1960s while holding court in her dilapidated Art Deco house on the Devon coast.

After an operation, she’s joined by wayward offspring Nick and Libby, sharp-eyed granddaughter Summer, local doctor Peter, and Daniel, a troubled teenager who makes use of the family’s crumbling swimming pool. Together they share a few sweltering months as they alternately cling to and flee this louche and chaotic world of all-day drinking, infatuations, long-held resentments, free love and failure.

Stephen Beresford’s The Last of the Haussmans examines the fate of the revolutionary generation and offers a funny, touching and at times savage portrait of a family full of longing that’s losing its grip.

Our Review:

Michael Coveney - 20 June 2012

First-time playwright Stephen Beresford has worked as an actor with the National and Out of Joint and has obviously acquired some good habits when it comes to constructing a scene or, for that matter, the occasional joke. And he’s been given the full works at the National.

But The Last of the Haussmans, affectionately and patiently directed by Howard Davies, is exposed on the vast Lyttelton stage as a promising debut rather than a seriously accomplished one, making similar points about the 1960s 'me' generation to those in Mike Bartlett’s Love Love Love recently at the Royal Court, but with far less wit and ferocity.

Julie Walters plays Judy Haussman, an ageing, crone-like former drop-out who is recovering from an operation and hosting the return of the grown-up siblings, Nick and Libby (Rory Kinnear and Helen McCrory), she farmed out to their grandparents in this same crumbling Devon art deco man...

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Latest User Review

David Baxter - 12 October 2012:

Having been impressed by this play at the Lyttelton (see below) it was interesting to see how it translates as a cinema experience. The most obvious factor is that it was very loud with most of the actors appearing to shout, especially Julie Walters. This is just about OK for such larger than life characters but does take away a lot of the subtlety. Helen McCrory's performance actually seems to be even better on screen as you can more clearly see the pain in her eyes but my main concern is that the choice of where to look on stage is made for you by the camera shot selected. Nothing compares to live theatre but The Last of the Haussmans is a terrific debut play in either format, albeit with a weak ending, and I look forward to seing what comes next from Stephen Beresford....

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