“The Conservative government eventually falls because they believe themselves entitled to power. And Labour governments always fall because they don’t,” says Cockney Labour whip Bob Mellish (Phil Daniels). “The Conservative government eventually falls because they believe themselves entitled to power. Charles Edwards in National Theatre’s ‘This House.’ (Photo: Johan Persson). This House is a play by James Graham. It was filmed live on stage at the National Theatre in 2013. For their part, Conservative gents are marked by excellent Saville Row suits, plummy diction, and witty ripostes. Get times and locations for theatre, music, dance, visual arts & museums, film & videos, poetry & literature, kid & family events, comedy, special & free events, local guides and more. View a seating plan for This House at the Garrick Theatre, Nica Burns, Caro Newling for Neal Street Productions, Headlong, in association with Jonathan Church Productions, Gavin Kalin Productions and TC Beech Ltd present the National Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre production of This House. This House. your browser cookie settings. National Theatre at Home: This House Enjoying two sold-out National Theatre runs, a NT Live broadcast in 2013, plus a West End transfer and UK tour, This House is a timely, moving and funny insight into the workings of British politics by James Graham (Ink, ITV's Quiz). If you devoured The West Wing and House of Cards, you may slip easily into This House, an equally energetic anatomy of democracy in action—or inaction. All Right Reserved. That question is answered in part by the National Theatre ’s timely resurrection of This House, Graham’s blisteringly witty and insightful 2012 play about the Labour government’s fight to cling to power between 1974 and 1979. Calling all Anglophiles! WIll the Labour party collapse? It's 1974. It’s not so much a satire as a lament. Below are steps you can take in order to whitelist Observer.com on your browser: Click the AdBlock button on your browser and select Don't run on pages on this domain. This much-loved production enjoyed two sold-out National Theatre runs, a West End transfer and national tour as well as being filmed by National Theatre Live. It was written by James Graham, not James Morris. Is a political revolution coming? In England, you can get away with this sort of classist caricature because, well, it’s their reality. To read our full stories, please turn off your ad blocker.We'd really appreciate it. Now through June 4, the wonderful NT offers free streaming of This House on its YouTube channel. SEE ALSO: Simon McBurney’s ‘The Encounter’ Is a Wild Head Trip, Here’s an exotic Parliamentary practice you’ll learn: pairing. We get it: you like to have control of your own internet experience. In an era of chaos, both hilarious and shocking, fist fights break out in the parliamentary bars, high-stake tricks and games are played, while sick or dying MPs are carried through the lobby to register their crucial votes as the government hangs by a thread. It’s a neat Shavian quip, one that cuts close for our self-defeating Democrats. It received its première in the Cottesloe Theatre at … And then, after November, some clever playwright can get their arms around Capitol Hill and tell us what really happened in the last unbelievable five years. @2017 - PassportMagazine. Poseidon Theatre Company’s ‘DRAMA – an aural experience’, Reopenings, Delays and More from London’s West End. It’s a neat Shavian quip, one that cuts close for our self-defeating Democrats. After you’ve finished. 4 Stars. Charles Edwards as Jack Weatherill. It’s 1974, and Britain has a … It’s 1974, and Britain has a hung Parliament. SparkOC.com is the leading online resource … But since the British legislature is multiparty, there is a sizable mass of small groups such as the Scottish National Party, Independent Socialist, and Liberals Democrats. Listen Up: Sounds of Broadway Plays Musical Theater... Watch Now: Gillian Anderson in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, Watch: Patti LuPone and Randy Rainbow’s ‘If Donald Got Fired’, Watch Now: Shakespeare in the Park’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, Watch: ‘One of the Good Ones’ Nick Cordero Tribute Film, Cynthia Erivo: The American Theatre Wing Master Class. Photo: Johan Persson. Make a donation and support the National Theatre on the road to recovery, NT Online Shop - buy great gifts and help the National Theatre, Click here to request a link to set a new password, Browse the frequently asked questions for tickets, Annual review 2018-19 (opens a new window), Donation and Sponsorship acceptance statement, changing and switched windows to follow the chaos in Minneapolis or Washington, it’s a foregone conclusion the other side should take over and start repairing the damage. The NT Live filming is surprisingly dynamic, with the camera pushing into the chamber during voting and panning around like it’s a football match. Streaming until 3 June. Almost a hybrid of past BBC comedies Yes, Minister and The Thick of It, Graham play is salty, funny, swift, and ultimately heartbroken by how easily his country slipped from a progressive vision of governing into the heartless corporate conservatism of the Thatcher years. The corridors of Westminster ring with the sound of infighting and backstabbing as the political parties battle to change the future of the nation. And then, after November, some clever playwright can get their arms around Capitol Hill and tell us what really happened in the last unbelievable five years. They help us do what we do best: muddle through.” One particularly agitated scene occurs in the aftermath of a vote where pairing was not honored and the chamber erupts in anger. London’s National Theatre is happy to oblige. Click the AdBlock Plus button on your browser and select Disable on Observer.com. The National Theatre is generously sharing its archives with theatergoers worldwide. With Trump cultists spreading more disease across our pandemic-ravaged nation, a nakedly plutocratic Senate enabling a racist dictator, and cities burning over the police murder of unarmed black citizens, one might gaze enviously at the political woes of another country in another era. Can the kingdom stay united? Running Time: 2 hours 55 mins inc interval. But advertising revenue helps support our journalism. Opening Hours A hung Parliament, deepening economic crises, discontent among the voters, battle lines drawn along party affiliations. ‘Repeat Attenders’ Explores Lives of Theater Superfans, Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Avatar’ Universe Takes Flight on BroadwayHD, Jennifer Holliday on ‘Dreamgirls,’ Being an LGBTQ Icon, and Turning 60, Life and Laughter: A Conversation with Julie Halston, Don’t Miss: ‘Howell Binkley: A Celebration of Light and Love’, Billy Porter to Direct ‘The Life’ at New York City Center, Interview: Nina West and the Power of Drag, ‘Nutcracker Rouge’ to Offer Cocktails & Burlesque at Home, PrideArts launches ‘What’s the Tea, Cis?’ Series, Club Cumming Launches Streaming Cabaret Series on Stellar, Theater Buff: Drew Redington From ‘The Prom’, Theater Buff: Leroy Church, Broadway’s ‘King Kong’, Theater Buff: Ricardo A. 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This much-loved production enjoyed two sold-out National Theatre runs, a West End transfer and national tour as well as being filmed by National Theatre Live. With Trump cultists spreading more disease across our pandemic-ravaged nation, a nakedly plutocratic Senate enabling a racist dictator, and cities burning over the police murder of unarmed black citizens, one might gaze enviously at the political woes of another country in another era. Learn the benefits, 19 Nov 2016 to 25 Feb 2017 Update: An earlier version of this review misidentified the author of This House. If you continue to use this site we'll assume you're happy with this. This House is a timely, moving and funny insight into the workings of British politics by James Graham (Ink, ITV’s Quiz) and directed by Jeremy Herrin (People, Places and Things). London’s National Theatre is happy to oblige. Almost a hybrid of past BBC comedies, , Graham play is salty, funny, swift, and ultimately heartbroken by how easily his country slipped from a progressive vision of governing into the heartless corporate conservatism of the Thatcher years. The NT Live filming is surprisingly dynamic, with the camera pushing into the chamber during voting and panning around like it’s a football match. Conservative MP Michael Heseltine infamously grabs the huge ceremonial Mace and threatens his Labour counterparts with shouts of “Cheat!”, Graham tightly packed script and an admirably crisp and lucid staging by Jeremy Herrin make the long parade of characters and political maneuvers fairly easy to interpret. Order posters from the 1960s to the present day, printed on semi-gloss art paper. Political turmoil extends far beyond our national borders, as proven by National Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of This House. There’s even a rock band on the upper level, reminding us that it’s the groovy-yet-angsty ’70s with an aching cover of David Bowie’s “Five Years.”. This House is a timely, moving and funny insight into the workings of British politics by James Graham (Ink, ITV’s Quiz) and directed by Jeremy Herrin (People, Places and Things). Now through June 4, the wonderful NT offers free streaming of. For those whose eyes started glazing over at a “u” in Labour, let me spell it out: the Labour Party equals Democrats and Conservatives are Republicans. Johan Persson. Because Labour in 1974 had only a slim majority, to win votes they had to pull a significant number of these “odds and sods” to their side. Premiered to universal acclaim at the National Theatre in 2012, This House, written by James Graham (The Vote, Privacy) and directed by Headlong Artistic Director Jeremy Herrin (People, Places and Things, Wolf Hall), gives us a timely, moving and often amusing insight into the workings of British politics.