Starring: Mel Smith (Not the Nine O’Clock News, Alas Smith & Jones, etc etc) as Winston Churchill, Michael Fassbinder (Band of Brothers, Holby City, Hex) as Michael Collins, Robin Browne Crossroads, It Ain’t half hot mum, Little Britain) as the butler and Brian Gilbert (Not Without My Daughter, Tom & Viv, Wilde) as the narrator Venue: Assembly (Music Room)
You can tell a lot about a show by watching the audience. This show in a very large theatre (about 500 seats), it was sold out and I estimated about 80% of the audience were born before Churchill died. They were also a very politically aware lot as was evident when jokes about the politics of the situation were made.
The show is not a comedy. There are a number of jokes made, but these often seem to add to the tension of the situation, rather than relieve it. The story is this: The time is 1921. Winston Churchill has been made Secretary for Ireland and the Middle East (after losing political favour after WW1). His mother and youngest daughter have recently died, and he is meeting the the delegation from Sinn Fein to discuss solutions to the Irish problem. Young Michael Collins has just been made the leader of the delegation due to the appointed leader becoming sick. When he arrives in London he is treated as a movie star by the press but also kept under constant surveillance by the British Secret Service.
The meetings of the two official delegations are going nowhere, and so Churchill asks Collins to meet him at his house to try and work out a solution without ego’s clashing. The two leaders initially dislike and distrust one another, but gradually, through a series of meetings where they reveal their pasts and beliefs, as well as their dreams and fears for the future, they come to an understanding and eventually an agreement, to hopefully stave off the imminent civil war in Ireland.
This is a powerful drama with a cast who are all at the heights of their powers. The passion between the two protagonists as they argue their positions and try to make each other understand their needs is projected to the audience, all of whom were spellbound through the 80 minutes of the performance. It was one of the best pieces of theatre I have seen in years and I would be surprised if it does not continue in the West End or tours throughout the world (or even made into a movie). Although the play is about the problems faced between English and Irish rule in Ireland, it applies equally to Israel, Iraq, Korea, Vietnam or any other place where religions and empires clash. This is a must see play.
For booking details go to Allegiance