“They fuck you up, your mum and dad.” Anyone who’s ever had a parent can relate to Philip Larkin’s famous opening to This Be The Verse. Larkin goes on to write “but they were fucked up in their turn”, a line that drips with the stark reality that damage is quite often an inherited gift. I mention this because bequeathed melancholy is pertinent to French playwright Florian Zeller’s work.
Courtesy of Marc Brenner.
Following a succesful run at The National in 2016, Michael Longhurst‘s production of Peter Schaffer‘s Amadeus returns with a high level of fanfare. Having missed it first time around, I arrive with few expectations, my only familiarity with this play being Milos Foreman‘s 1985 film adaptation.
Courtesy of Marc Brenner.
Located in the heart of Africa, The African Republic of Congo has witnessed a tumultuous political history, having received independence from the French in 1960. In 1997, a civil war caused by the rising tensions of the then democratically elected president Lissouba and previous president Sassou shaped The Congo’s landscape, with thousands losing their lives as a direct result. Sassou is currently still the president making the voting process a questionable one. What may not be as well known about the country’s contribution to the technology industry is that it produces the minerals needed to power our phones. They Drink it in the Congo opens up a dialogue between the UK and The African Republic of the Congo, or much rather satirically attempts to via the ambitious and charitable aims of the play’s protagonist.
With hopes of brightening up her life prospects in rural China, the aptly named Sunny embarks on a life changing journey to the fast paced, bright lights of the City.
