David Hare's 'The Permanent Way'

Tonight went to see the National Theatre production of David Hare's 'The Permanent Way' at The Playhouse.

"The Permanent Way is not a comedy involving impersonations but a true-life tragedy told mostly in statements delivered straight to the audience. It has been directed by Max Stafford-Clark for the National Theatre and Out of Joint, the latter Stafford-Clark's own company and a regular visitor to the Liverpool stage.

And while London productions often get recast for regional tours, this has not been the case with The Permanent Way. This is exactly the same production that was staged at the National Theatre with the same cast". (Daily Post May 17)


Original production details: National Theatre Productions : The Permanent Way

Neal Ascherson had an interesting article in the Observer last November, putting the play in the context of the recent upsurge of political theatre: Whose line is it anyway?

The original Guardian review is here: Up the junction

And it just goes on - it reminded me that in April the Guardian ran a detailed two-part analysis of the way that puiblic money has been poured into the West Coast main line project The £10bn rail crash and The £10bn rail crash, part two