This House, Birmingham Rep - review and pictures
A referendum on Europe, Scotland demanding its freedom and a ruling Government with the tiniest of majorities – this play could have been taking place in Parliament today.
If it weren’t for the bouffant hair and flared trousers, the audience could be forgiven for thinking it was.
This House actually focuses on Labour’s troubled years from 1974 to 1979 with a minority Government struggling to cling onto power.
First premiered at the National Theatre in 2012, the play, based on the true political events but with some degree of theatrical licence, is told through the offices of both the Labour and Tory whips.
Divided into two stereotypical political camps there is loveable cockney Bob Mellish, played by Martin Marquez, leading the Labour team supported by tough northerner Walter Harrison (James Gaddas), unlikely leader Michael Cocks (Tony Turner) and the ‘token girl’ Ann Taylor, played by Natalie Grady.
A very pompous and ‘Yes Minister-esque’ Humphrey Atkins, played by William Chubb, is the Tory Chief Whip with sharp-dressing Jack Weatherill (Matthew Pidgeon) and new kid on the block Fred Silvester (Giles Cooper).
Feverishly working away in ‘the engine rooms’ of their parties, the conniving whips use every trick in the book to win over the ‘odds and sods’ minority parties and to drag every voting hand into Commons votes – dead or alive!
Some of the colourful characters of the time are represented from a hot-headed Michael Heseltine grabbing the Commons mace to tough talking Coventry MP Audrey Wise and her infamous arrest to the ‘debanair’ Alan Clark.
A key happening is the unsuccessful attempt by Walsall North MP John Stonehouse to fake his own death with Orlando Wells giving a very amusing performance as the shamed member.
Written by James Graham, the play is fast-paced, humorous and a creative reflection on not only the political landscape of the time but also that witnessed today, questioning the age-old system we continue to observe.
Many of the characters, though engaging, are too one-dimensional to evoke much empathy although the uneasy relationship, perhaps friendship, and unwritten allegiance between deputy chief whips Harrison and Weatherill is heart-warming.
The play runs for two hours and 45 minutes which was a little too long, the second half seeming to take an unnecessarily long time to reach the inevitable conclusion. An angry punk band and persistent shouting from ‘MPs’ were starting to grate.
This House is a lively foray in the world of politics with an element of farce that, unfortunately, may be just a little close to the truth back then – and close to the mark today.
Runs at the theatre until Saturday.
