A New World - A Life of Thomas Paine

Synopsis

It is the late eighteenth century and on both sides of the Atlantic the world seems filled with exciting new possibilities for humanity: old yokes can at last be cast off, ancient hierarchies dissolved. Chief among those lighting the fire is the English radical Thomas Paine, a man of great compassion, brutal honesty and a political writer of genius. Whether answering the call of an America chafing under the tyranny of the British Crown, riding the storm of revolutionary France, or challenging a conservative backlash in Britain, Paine is at the heart of things, ardent in his search for love, passionate in his pursuit of liberty. The much loved and greatly respected writer Trevor Griffiths (Comedians, Reds) fills this moving story of the life and loves of the author of The Rights of Man with songs, music and the huge carnival spirit of a world turned upside down.

Our Review:

4 September 2009

By any measure, Thomas Paine had a remarkable life. A writer, editor, inventor, soldier and philosopher, he was a leading light in the American War of Independence and the French Revolution and a thorn in the flesh to all sides.

It’s a pity then, that Trevor Griffiths’ play on his life is such a mess. Griffiths is determined to give us every facet of Paine’s life – but a life so richly lived offers much too much material to be tackled in one play; this might have made a decent mini-series but over the course of the evening, it drags.

The play is split into two halves, the first primarily dealing with the War of Independence, the second with the French Revolution and its aftermath. The first half crackles with wit and passion with some acute political comment. If it had ended at the interval, it would have been a better play.

The second half offers us more of the same: there’s little sense of any development of character and the e...

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Latest User Review

hilary - 12 September 2009:

The play forces you as a British person to look at our relationship with monarchy. It is very clever in the way the central thought is not explicit but implicit within the epic story. France and America at that time responded to radical ideas. Why didn't Britain and is our system of Monarchy one we have really thought about in depth? Paine's ability to be radical and humane was made clear. It was a production that sinks in later rather than at the time. The cast were lacking in energy and verve on the evening I went, although the principals had clear characterization. The singing was weak and need much more attention....

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