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Latest items? Unedited? Fringe Report Uncut
How I Got That Story
Verdict: Vietnam drama
How I Got That Story tells how a naive journalist is changed by his assignment to Vietnam. It's a two-act drama with 3 actors lasting 1.5 hours plus 15 minute interval.
The journalist sees a Buddhist monk's suicide by fire, meets tyrant Madame Ng, deranged GI's and a crazy war-photographer. At first he's unaffected by the country. Encounter with the enemy changes him.
The play has a highly imaginative set, designed by Alex Marker.
US slaughter of 'foreigners' is topical, and Justin Butcher's remarkable dramas about Iraq, The Madness Of George Dubya (2003), and A Weapons Inspector Calls (2004) - both of which started on the London fringe - demonstrate the power that excellent political and war-related plays can generate on a low budget. How I Got That Story, while an interesting piece, is not at this level.
Vietnam has inspired some remarkable films - for example Full Metal Jacket (1987) & Platoon (1986). Robin Williams plays a naive media-man changed by the war in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987). In the aftermath of Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece Apocalypse Now (1979), any film, book or play on the topic faces inevitable comparison, and an impossibly high standard of competition. It's unfortunate that this film replays on tv just before the current launch of How I Got That Story.
However, How I Got This Story has 3 excellent actors. Richard Costello puts in a strong central performance as the Candide-like innocent, the war correspondent. Gerard Monaco delivers gifted interpretations as a delightfully bonkers newspaper editor, GI, and war-cameraman. Kate Sissons delivers many inspirational characterisations, as sinister Madame Ng, guerillas, nun, and a Vietnamese prostitute. Given a better play, it will be particularly interesting to see what these fine performers do next.
Cast Credits (alpha order): Richard Costello. Gerard Monaco. Kate Sissons.
Company Credits: Play first performed 1979. Writer - Amlin Gray. Director - Lewis Davies. Designer - Alex Marker. Lighting Designer - Alex Watson. Sound Designer - Ben Evans. Dialect Coach - William Conacher. Stage Manager - Gareth Eldrett. Company - Whore's Oath Theatre Company. Thanks to: Dexter Bond, Will & Jean Davies, Holly Dawson, Michael Hagen, Seb Kemp, Rachel Knightley, Sally Knyvette, Kim Manh, Jed Staton, Jeremy Stockwell, The Questors Theatre, Brett Yount.
Venue Credits: Resident Company - Concordance (www.concordance.org.uk). Finborough Theatre has the support of Pearson Playwrights' Scheme, sponsored by Pearson plc. Venue licensed to The Steam Industry: Artistic Director - Phil Willmott. A member of the Independent Theatre Council. Finborough Theatre: Artistic Director - Neil McPherson (tel 020 7244 7439). Associate Designer - Alex Marker. Writer-In-Residence - Pearson Playwright - Laura Wade. Writers-In-Residence - Steve Hennessy, Anthony Melnikoff. Script-reader - Alana Moss. Interns - Ashley Allen, Matthew Cornelius, Lindsay Googe, Sharill Wood. Technical Manager - Alex Watson. Technical Consultant - David Hermon, LX Professional. Season Leaflet Graphic Design - Ben Pacey (ben@benpacey.co.uk).
END
John Park
reviewed 4 March 04 / Finborough Theatre
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012
www.fringereport.com
