Like the proverbial bus, another Doug Lucie play (well, two actually) comes along just over six months after Hard Feelings was revived at the Finborough. One of these hasn’t been seen since its Royal Court premiere 24 years ago and the other has never been on stage, so it’s a double double treat. They weren’t written to be played together but they are a perfect fit for a satisfying evening of issue theatre.
Doing the Business is about arts sponsorship and artistic freedom. It was written in 1990, but is just as relevant today. Peter and Mike were at Uni together and now one is artistic director of a theatre specialising in new writing, visiting the other who is some sort of sponsorship broker for big business. Mike’s theatre is desperate for money and Peter is happy to oblige – with conditions. Jim Mannering & Matthew Carter play the two-hander well, though it was a little static with them sitting across a desk for virtually the whole play. Lucie’s presentation of the issues, though, is faultless and the dialogue sparkled.
Blind was written as a radio play 12 years ago and has been revised by Lucie for this first stage production. This time the theme is artistic patronage as we meet two artists and their very different patrons. Maddy is the conceptual one, all installations and life-laid-bare (think Tracy Emin) and Alan a modern but more traditional painter. Alan’s benefactor, who provides his studio, is a retired porn king whose interest seems genuinely artistic. Paul is a more calculating art dealer (think Jay Jopling) whose interest is more commercial. Between them they play out the patronage vs exploitation debate in short snappy scenes with cracking dialogue. Janna Fox is superb as in-your-face Maddy, all of her thoughts and feelings on show. Cameron Harle is excellent as Alan, more restrained and thoughtful. Daniel York is terrific as scheming, manipulative Paul. It doesn’t quite sustain its length, but it’s a treat nonetheless.
These are great issues for plays and Lucie is the right playwright to tackle them well, with enough edge and bite but with a coolness to match. Huge congratulations to Triple Jump Productions for bringing them to us. Let’s hope the Lucie revival continues. Progress or Fashion anyone?
Leave a comment