In our deeply cynical age, idealism is in short supply, so it’s great that veteran political playwright Trevor Griffiths has been given the opportunity to realise one of his long-cherished projects - to tell the life of Tom Paine, whose radical pamphlets - Common Sense (1776) and The Rights of Man (1791) - lit up the darkness of late 18th-century politics with the beacon of revolution.
In this panoramic account of a life that included active participation in both the American War of Independence and the French Revolution, Paine comes across as a member of the awkward squad, whose well-argued ideas about reason, liberty and the universal human rights of men and women make him enemies almost everywhere.
Played with restraint and psychological depth by John Light, we see Paine’s transformation from a relatively youthful firebrand, who was appalled at the treatment of slaves when he arrived in the American colonies on the eve of their struggle for Independence, through his incarceration by the French revolutionaries, to his last days as an exile.
Griffiths uses Benjamin Franklin, portrayed with great charm by Keith Bartlett, as his narrator, and peoples the stage - in Dominic Dromgoole’s well-paced and engrossing production - with a host of characters, from American president George Washington (Dominic Rowan) to Paris revolutionary Danton (James Garnon). Griffiths deftly outlines the main points of conflict and tells a thrilling tale with enormous gusto.
Love interest is provided by Laura Rogers as Marthe in the American scenes and Alix Riemer as Carnet in the French ones, with music, both sombre and rousing, from the excellent Stephen Warbeck. At a time when the big issues of the day tend to be met with indifference, a good dose of idealism about the possibility of change is to be warmly welcomed.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
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