55 Days

Many a trip to the theatre is a trip into the unknown. If you are going to the West End to see an Ayckbourn play, or to Stratford to see Shakespeare, then yes that's a known commodity. But often when I go its to see a play on the strength of nothing more than a couple of sentences in the advance publicity.

So it was with 55 days at the Hampstead Theatre. Its set in the Civil War, the 55 days being the time Charles I was held before his execution, and it starred Mark Gattiss (who I only knew in comic roles) as Charles. More than that I did not know.

My companion, who is much more learned about the history of this than me, said it was pretty true to what is known about the period. But I quite liked not knowing more than the general background. Otherwise its a bit like seeing the film of a book - you are forever comparing what you are watching against what you know. But this was one of the best plays I have seen. Completely absorbing and entertaining without having any laughs, any real action and of course, any suspense since everyone knows what happens in the end. The morality of it all is what makes it so entertaining. The wrestling with the concept of the ends justifying the means, and with what legality really entails. It was important to try the King, to show that things were being done legally, but of course there was no legal authority to do this. So they just did it and made it up as they went along. The only object was convicting the king, however that was done. But one is quickly stopped from really sympathising with the King, not because of his arrogance, but because its clear that he will break any promise to save his position. Ends justifying means. How far will we go? I can't help feeling that its not one of those back and white issues. Ends can justify means, but sometimes if you have to go too far to do so, you just tip over the edge. A dilemma we still work with today - torture of terror suspects etc.

But cracking play. Well worth seeing.