Another Country

This play really launched the career of Rupert Everett and did much to advance those of a young Colin Firth, Ken Branagh and Daniel Day-Lewis as it transferred to film. And now as part of an approximate 30 year cycle that seems to operate in the West End, it is back with a new cast.

It is a very neat play. Set in a posh boarding school its inspiration is the Cambridge spy Guy Burgess, transmogrified in the play to Guy Bennett, a gay teenager who is thwarted in his school ambitions by his homosexuality. At the end of the play we are led to believe that he decides to take his revenge on all of Society by deciding to spy for the Russians. I suspect all those years ago this was more of a gay play than it feels now. With homosexuality pretty much accepted by society (or at least the society I mix in), what I guess was supposed to make the audience smart with injustice is rather now just a period piece. What works now is the petty nature of a closed society - the jockeying for position in a small group where making prefect or head of house, or winning parade trophies, seems so vitally important to the protagonists and so wonderfully trivial to the onlookers. And of course it also has the theme of how friendships, alliances and ambition are a dangerous and uncomfortable mix.

I thought the star performer was the young chap who played the communist supporting Judd, Will Attenborough (grandson of Richard), so full of certainty, and yet also doubt. The fact that he is spouting nonsense but with great sincerity is the way communism is so well ridiculed in the play. Like many plays that one likes, all the characters are flawed and you don't especially like any of them although perhaps slightly sympathising with the point of view of many. Guy's part is well-played too, by a chap called Rob Callender,  not camp but pleasantly shallow youth who has had dalliances with most of the boys, although only he is truly gay. As I say it launched the careers of many young actors all those years ago and one will probably see some of this young cast in the future too.

The only bit that didn't work was Wharton, the young fag. And that's because he was also played by an actor the same age as the others. Even by adding a stoop and nervousness, one couldn't get past the fact that one was seeing a young man playing the role of a little boy being tucked up in bed with his teddy. But one can understand the difficulty in casting an age appropriate actor. Its just interesting to what degree one's mind can suspend belief.