A Marvellous Year for Plums

Synopsis

Hugh Whitemore's sophisticated political thriller examines a flashpoint in British history that still resonates today - the Suez Crisis in 1956. As his health collapses, Prime Minister Anthony Eden faces the prospect of leading his country into war. Meanwhile his friends, colleagues and opponents deal with political and emotional crises of their own.

Our Review:

18 May 2012

There's a sense of déjà vu while watching Hugh Whitemore's new play. Even though the subject matter is Anthony Eden and the Suez crisis of 1956, there are strong parallels with the recent Iraq war; the same determination to preserve, the same dubious legal arguments and the same levels of mendacity and double-dealing.

According to the programme, Whitemore was thinking of calling the play A Different Kind of Traitor and that would have been a better title than the slightly contrived one that he chose. The overwhelming impression is of a political class, lying and twisting the truth to its own ends – dishonesty lies at the heart of everything, even the characters who try to be politically honest turn out to be adulterers.

It’s this mixture of the personal and the political that’s a key strength of the play. Whitemore is helped by the extraordinary cast of characters playing parts in the drama: Eden h...

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Latest User Review

Roy Gardiner - 26 May 2012:

Once again the critics seem to have been watching a different production. However, as I was at the PN & observed the queues at the 'celebrity tent' it is probably not surprising!...

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