13

Synopsis

Mike Bartlett's new play 13 is set in London in Autumn 2011. Across the city, people wake up from an identical, terrifying dream. At the same moment, a young man named John returns home after years away to find economic gloom, ineffective protest, and a Prime Minister about to declare war. But John has a vision for the future and his ideas inspire an increasing number of followers. With conflict looming in the Middle-East, their protest takes them to the centre of the city, to the heart of government, where coincidences, omens and visions collide with political reality.

13 is from the acclaimed writer of Earthquakes Mike Bartlett and directed by Thea Sharrock.

Set in a dark and magical landscape of singing pensioners, fanatical atheists and imminent apocalypse, it depicts a London both familiar and strange, a London staring into the void. In a year which has seen governments fall and hundreds of thousands take to the streets, 13 explores the meaning of personal responsibility, the hold that the past has over the future and the nature of belief itself.

We have some great 13 National Theatre tickets so follow the buy tickets links today!

Our Review:

26 October 2011

Theatre is championed for its ability to react to current events. With talk of social media revolution, impending war with Iran, riots and chasmic class-divide, Mike Bartlett has certainly done that.

Rather than state-of-the-nation, Bartlett does state-of-the-globe and, here, he attempts to cram the whole thing onto the Olivier stage in three hours. It was never going to fit and 13 is overstretched. Broad archetypes serve as political mouthpieces and the narrative skips like a scratched CD to set up a showdown. But, in spite of such faults, the piece captivates throughout. Its direct address demands our attention.

At its centre is John (Trystan Gravelle), a saviour in sweatpants preaching a new world order of genuine choice and possibility from on top of a bucket in a London park. Amongst a group labelled “his disciples” (Bartlett labours his Christ parallels unnecessarily) are a casual prostitute, a reformed lawyer and two activists with whom Joh...

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Latest User Review

Eric Long - 8 January 2012:

I do not believe that society in general, or theatre- goers in particular, are ready to accept without question the use of expletives to support a script. Yes, language development is an ongoing process; but here, the repeated use of the f-word was both a distraction and a variable which interfered with understanding of the play and sympathy with its messages. There were some real positives, but........... ...

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