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Fiona Mountford's rating
, Atmospheric production of 365
By
Fiona Mountford
17 Sep 2008
365 is a spare, fluid, occasionally surreal work by David Harrower for the National Theatre of Scotland that examines the system of “practice flats” for young people about to leave the care system.
Gradually, in Vicky Featherstone’s atmospheric production, we get to know a little about a handful of these damaged kidults, although Harrower would have done well to expand some narrative strands and contract others.
In one startling scene shift, the flat gives way to a Hansel and Gretel-esque cottage in the woods, an apt setting for exploring long‑suppressed nightmares.
Until 27 Sept (0871 221 1722, www.lyric.co.uk)
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (1)
What did the NT have in mind when transforming a gem of a script to lead? Last year , despite the scripts faults, what read was a beautifully eloquent plea for compassionate courage and tenderness to be preserved not brutalised and for true honour to be the achievement of that and only that. So while puppets are still good -- you wont cry this time round. And this despite the sensitive and admirable performance of Kit Harrington whose young Albert transforms from a frightened 16 year old to a young soldier able to perform a mercy killing from grim necessity. But where before the young Albert had a desperate need for tenderness which he finds in his tenderness for the horse -- in this new travesty of a script we have a kindly nurtured young man irritated by a weak father who also has a pet he loves. What is at stake? And later -- where once we had a young officer confess to his horse his fear of dying -- NOW we have several lines of heavy handed exposition about every generation needs to discover its own war. And later the German Officer replacing Angus Wright fails to bring the warmth and great heart that Angus had. We wonder why this Nazi has strayed into the first world war and so the new script plods on? Why did Marianne Elliot and Tom Morris and Michael Morporgo so conspire to trumpet the MOD and not the human heart.
- Chauncey Grant, London, 19/09/2008 13:47
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