A new play by Mike Leigh, as it was long billed, has now not only finally been named 2000 Years, but after the cancellation of its first two previews on Thursday and Friday, has also had its first performance last night at the National’s Cottesloe – and already it’s first review this morning in the Sunday Telegraph.
Quite how the journalist concerned Chris Hastings got his ticket to the sell-out run he doesn’t reveal, though since he reports that “theatregoers camped outside the National from 5am yesterday morning, hoping to get their hands on returned tickets”, suggests that he might have been one of them. And throughout the day he was obviously on the trail of information about the show, presumably again hoping to know when he might be ready to file copy – “Callers to the theatre could not find out even when the play would finish. As late as 4pm box office staff were still simply saying, ‘It is a very fluid piece of work.’
He added, “Very fluid, certainly – but also very fine.” And this is where his news report strays into territory that should be the prerogative of the paper’s theatre critic Rebecca Tyrell who will be formally reviewing it next week. Earlier in his report, he also writes, “This story of Jewish parents struggling with their son’s zealous dedication to the faith which they had never truly practiced in told with warmth, irreverent humour and rich insights into family life in general and Jewish family life in particular.”
He further comments, “The production is studded with outstanding performances.”
This trend to pre-empt theatre critics by reporting the previews as news has been growing apace over the last few years, but usually when there’s a star name attached, such as Kathleen Turner’s appearance in The Graduate, Nicole Kidman in The Blue Room or Madonna in Up for Grabs. But now Mike Leigh is such a big star in his own right that his work, too, is clearly up for critical grabs, too, before the first night.
Re '2000 Nights: I saw this play in Manchester last week and afterwards listened to the cast's feedback to the audience. I was not able to contribute to the discussion then, but would very much like to make public my views, to counter the sycophantic comments that were made that night.
To precis my opinion, I feel this is exactly a Jewish version of Caroline Aherne's 'Royle Family!
Set in a predictable setting is a predictable family, encompassing all the Jewish stereotypes, saying and doing all the predictable things.
There was a lot of name-dropping of 'serious issues', but nothing was explored deeply. I hoped that Mike Leigh would have dealt more with the the issue of fundamentalism v secularism in the Jewish community; or on a non-Jewish theme, he could have developed the nature of idealism in the different generations. There were so many themes hinted at.
Instead, it was very bitty and insubstantial. Slightly amusing in a non p.c. way, but there was no food for thought in it. A huge disappointment.
The production was also spoilt by the too-frequent stage blackouts, depicting the passing of time during this uneventful year. The audience applauded during the penultimate break, thinking that the play had finished. And why not? In my opinion, it had only just started. Mike Leigh had taken two hours to show all the material that he wanted to play with, and then forgot that this is where he should have started his play! I look forward to the sequel.
By the way, the acting was excellent.