MICK MCSHANE is roused by a band whose socialism laces every line of every song with commitment and raw passion
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A cerebral play, broaching questions that never quite land
MARY CONWAY tries her best to work out ‘what the hell is going on’ as style triumphs over substance
Gina Mckee and Paul Mcgann
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ALEX HALL is disgusted by the misuse of ‘emotional narratives’ to justify uninformed geo-political prejudice
SUE TURNER welcomes a thoughtful, engaging book that lays bare the economic realities of global waste management
JOHN GREEN welcomes an insider account of the achievements and failures of the transition to democracy in Portugal
SIMON PARSONS applauds an imaginative and absorbing updating of Strindberg’s classic
PETER MASON is enthralled by an assembly of objects, ancient and modern, that have lain in the mud of London’s river
The Forest
Hampstead Theatre
PLAYWRIGHT Florian Zeller finds himself in a charmed position by anyone’s standards, his play The Father having achieved almost iconic status and the film version having won best actor Oscar for Anthony Hopkins. Following this and the other two plays in his family trilogy, Zeller we must believe can do no wrong.
So it feels like a fait accompli that his new play The Forest – in its customary translation by heavyweight Christopher Hampton – will gather accolades galore for its premiere at Hampstead Theatre.
The play – as with Zeller’s earlier work – is based on a single idea in which style and structure ultimately triumph over substance. And the prime fascination for the audience is the absorbing task of working out what the hell is going on.
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