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London - the next five plays

Posted by:	wmdmcree 05:58 pm EST 01/15/14

An odd grouping this last few days - the plays seem to be coming from wildly different directions and styles. Drawing the Line is a solid historical piece, nicely staged and acted, but not very theatrically engaging and somewhat unsatisfying as a story. The Drowned Man has the same magic and drama as Sleep No More, in fact, maybe a little too similar, as the surprises are fewer and the atmosphere is strongly reminiscent of SNM. Fortune's Fool has lost it's leading man and though everyone, including the understudy replacement, is doing everything they can, the excitement is lost and the show functions but doesn't shine. The Pass at the Royal Court has neat plot twists and some sharp writing in its story of high pressure professional sports and the choices the men make, but eventually is overwritten and too fond of melodrama at the expense of insight. And Ciphers at the Bush is a smart mystery about a murdered Secret Service agent that uses tricky double casting and a swiftly shifting set to keep the audience on their toes throughout its two hour running time. My friends and I disagreed about the meaning of the ending, if anyone has seen it, I'd be intrigued to hear what they think happens at the end. Four more to go before returning to NY on Sunday - Blurred Lines at the NT Shed, Body of an American at the Gate, Duchess of Malfi at the new Sam Wannamaker Theatre at the Globe, and King Lear at the NT.

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