In My Name

Published Friday 28 March 2008 at 11:35 by Jeremy Austin

Paines Plough, the Royal Court, Soho Young Writer’s Programme - Steven Hevey has done all of these and doesn’t it show.

When a writer, with his debut full-length play, comes up with something that is well-structured, with well-drawn characters, an engrossing plot and naturalistic dialogue that hides polemic when needs be, then we should all head off to the places listed above and pay homage at their doors.

With In My Name, Steven Hevey has done that. Here is a play that takes a what is very, very well-trod ground in new writing - terrorism, racial tension, war etc - but twists the normally predictable rhetoric to come up with something new.

At the heart of the plot is a terrorism attack on London. But here the - let’s face it, cerebrally-challenged characters - react as many did, with blind indifference, more concerned with their own problems, the telly and drugs to take any notice. All except one, an ex-soldier whose post traumatic stress comes to the fore.

It’s an intense play that has the audience scurrying back after the break to find out what is going to happen. What better praise.

As well as an engrossing plot and well-formulated dialogue, there are excellent performances. Two ex-EastEnders no less - James Alexandrou and Ray Panthaki - are the voice of Britain’s not bovvered youth. As Grim and Royal respectively, they take the naturalistic dialogue and ease themselves into it, drawing their characters from it. Producer Kevin Watt gives a frighteningly intense performances as ex-soldier Egg.

There are slight concerns with the plot (why didn’t the characters escape when they could?), but otherwise this is what new writing should be about.