Play: The Dead Wait

Tonight, I took myself off to Finsbury Park to see The Dead Wait. It's a long time since I was there, and I was only there once before, so I'd forgotten you can't take the Overground straight there. And so I took Google Maps' suggestion and went by Tube instead. It's faster.

Not that that's the hard part! The last time I was there, it looked really easy on Google Maps Streetview to get from the station to the Park Theatre. Just a short walk, straight ahead and it's on the left. Except there are at least three exits from the station, and I took the wrong one and got completely lost. Just as well I was early! Coming back, I saw the one I should have taken. So this time, I paid special attention when they told me on the theatre website to take the Wells Terrace exit, and I kept an eye out for the sign. And this time, it was a breeze!

The Park Theatre has a large stage, but not much seating. Four rows of stalls, and a few upstairs. Seating extends around three sides of the stage. Upholstered benches, which are comfy enough, but of course slightly cramped if the place is full, because it's not clear where one seat ends and the next begins. Legroom is ok though. I was second row from the front in the stalls, and let me tell you, that's extremely close to the action. But then the entire stalls are!

This, as someone remarked, looks like a serious play. It is. It's about South Africa - in a broad sense, what it did, and how it is coming to terms with it. More specifically, South Africa's secret involvement in the Angolan civil war. More specifically still, the story of a talented young white South African athlete who joins the army and ends up in Angola, and how they come across a wounded ANC activist, whom the athlete's commanding officer orders him to carry back to the border for questioning. (The ANC were seen by the South African government as terrorists, back when these events are supposed to have happened.) And a bond forms between this young man and the man he's carrying on his back. In the second act, 20 years have passed and the protagonists are trying to come to terms with what happened back then.

It's a long time since I saw such a powerful and intense play. The writing is beautiful, and it's no wonder the playtext was on sale. The title references the African tradition of ancestor worship, which is strongly emphasised during the play. The acting is forceful, and there were actually a couple of scenes that were too intense for me to watch. That, I haven't come across in a play before. I think it's an absolute travesty that this isn't selling out every night - there were some empty seats downstairs, and the balcony was nearly empty from what I could see. People, people - I know it's a little bit out of town, but it's worth it! You'll only have to pay more if it moves to the West End, to see it in a more cramped theatre. It's on the next two nights, with matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Quick! It's much better than the average..

And so I'm off to Ireland for the weekend. Thinking of a film for Monday, but I haven't had time to look at the new ones yet..