This House
Parliament from 1974-79 is said to be the most dramatic in recent decades. Labour came into power in 1974, but a rocky social environment and relentless blows from the Opposition meant they changed leaders twice and eventually succumbed to a vote of no confidence. That’s not to mention an MP’s faked suicide, illnesses and deaths - all before Labour’s five year term was over. James Graham, political playwright and one-time actor, sought to transfer this drama to the stage in This House.
Graham’s play strikes several chords. Cameron’s precocious coalition? Check. Chronic resignations from our ‘strong and stable’ government? Check. Chaos is cyclical in British politics, and Graham capitalises on this familiar, ready-made drama.
That’s not to say little effort went into making This House brilliant. A whip-smart script meant that the audience laughed, got educated, and sat through three hours of politics without stealthy glances at watches. By the end of the play, we’d become emotionally invested in Labour’s whips - probably something which no one has said, ever. Natalie Grady shone as Ann Taylor, the young Bolton MP determined to hold her own against her aging, male colleagues. James Gaddas balanced brashness and empathy, ultimately stealing hearts as Chief Labour Whip Walter Harrison.
Graham could have stuffed This House with jargon and theory, but accessibility seems to have been a key goal. Beautiful metaphors secure understanding, e.g. the parallel between parliament and the Big Ben’s engine room. Big Ben stoically ticks on through Britain’s hard times, but has a major breakdown in 1976 and remains stagnant until the following year.
Ultimately, This House gives the audience an insight into ‘the room where it happens’, the conversations we don’t get to hear because of elitism, spin, corruption and cover ups. Graham stresses his play is a fictional take on the events of 1974-79, but this doesn’t prevent This House from taking on huge importance in today’s climate. For an entertaining and educational take on political minutae, This House is a definite must-watch.
