The New Real at RSC The Other Place Review

Post

Subscribe

Thu 03 Oct 2024 - Sat 02 Nov 2024

Real footage of the fall of the Berlin Wall and Ronald Reagan greet the audience on large screens for this new political play by David Edgar for the RSC. Set across America and the ex-Soviet Bloc in the murky world of election campaigning, the New Real is a little like The West Wing with a touch of John Le Carre.

But instead of escapist drama, this all feels a little too realistic. It's menacing and acts as a warning to us all in a year when half the world's population is apparently voting in an election.

I caught The New Real during its run at The Other Place theatre, where it stays until November 2. Astute and relevant, it's been playing on my mind ever since.



Artistic Director of the renowned theatre company Headlong, Holly Race Roughan, is at the helm for this one and her fresh direction is noticeable. It's got a fascinating, wordy script that gains momentum and gets more gripping as it progresses.

Even better is how the small The Other Place theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon has been reconfigured to make the audience feel more amongst the action. There's a runway-style stage at its centre with theatre-goers on either side.

A cascade of big screens around the central part of the stage regularly move up and down beaming real moments from history or setting the scene.



We meet our two election gurus, Rachel and Gary, at the end of a dismal campaign in the American election. They go their separate ways for now but are doomed to meet again - on opposing sides and in Eastern Europe.

For a former Soviet country is holding an election and a candidate wants an expert political strategist to help overthrow the Russian-backed, long-term leader. It's a place where democracy isn't so clear cut and Rachel has to use her wits and trusty data analyst sidekick Caro Wheeler for a chance of victory.

Dirty tricks, how campaigners analyze potential voters and how easy it can be to cross the line and keep going are all elements of this insightful play. Moving swiftly over the past two decades, it brings the audience right up to Trump and the war in Ukraine.

Martina Laird and Lloyd Owen, well-known faces from TV and film, are a good match on stage as Rachel and Gary. They pull off the American accents well as they spark over political disagreements, ethics and their personal past.



Jodie McNee as Caro, pictured above with Laird, is a breath of fresh air, adding most of the humour. I last saw her play the lead in Minority Report at Birmingham Rep, where she had the same charisma and impressive stage presence.

This time she's a straight-talking Northerner and queen of the focus groups who has spotted unrest among the disgruntled forgotten traditionalists in the rust belt. This play is in no way one-sided either, especially as Gary is from an American town where the factories have been closed down and understands how disillusion feels.

There's so much to like about this new fast-paced play. There's even an enlightening section based on how a government is using the Eurovision Song Contest to get votes from its core base. More importantly, it shows how power and money can easily corrupt.

The New Real is a riveting, tenacious political play that is extremely relevant and hard-hitting. It's a warning shot for none of us to get too complacent.

Rating: 4/5 stars


Tickets for the New Real can be found at the RSC website here . It continues in Stratford-upon-Avon until November 2.

Running time is 2 hrs 45 mins (including a 20 mins interval).

%wnstratforduponavon
%wnbirmingham
#theatre_shows
#arts_culture