A Life in the Theatre

Synopsis

The fortunes of two actors sharing a journey on and of stage. Robert, an older actor, acts as a mentor and guide for John, but as the play moves on we see that his theatre is in decline and it is John's new ideas that will survive.

Our Review:

3 February 2005

There can't be many plays where actors spend quite so much time with their backs to the audience. For almost fifty percent of the time, Patrick Stewart and Joshua Jackson find themselves doing exactly that – facing upstage in front of Giles Cadle's backstage set, complete with ugly wooden flats, for all the world as if they were wooing some existential audience beyond the back wall. Hang on. Is this a metaphor I see coming towards me - acting as a symbol of the void looming before all of us?

A Life in the Theatre is a bit like that. For all its very hugger-mugger, down-to-earth, greasepaint and sweat practicalities, you can't help feeling pretension is lurking just around the corner. The programme is filled with such authorial dictums as: “I think the purpose of theatre is not to deepen the mysteries of life, but to celebrate the mysteries of life”.

And so say all of us. It also says something for David Mamet's craft that despite flouting “bloc...

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Latest User Review

195.92.168.163) - 29 March 2005:

I went to Saturday 25th Matinee. Exciting glimps at what may go on behind the scenes. Flawless from the off and extremely funny throughout with a slight sadness in respect of Patrick Stewarts character. The rapport between Patrick and Joshua's characters was fantastic. Joshua Jackson should be proud of his stage debut.. would and have recommended to friends.......

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