Banned in 1907,but still sharply topical, a new production of Harley Granville Barker’s play Waste is opening at the National Theatre. Its star talks sex, or idealism and backstage briefings from Neil KinnockA man too pure for politics given an unexpected leadership role. A Tory government drafting as its patsy a politician unschooled in the compromises of power. Until the stage addresses the stories of Corbyn and Clegg directly,we’ll just hold to originate conclude with Harley Granville Barker’s Waste, the first National Theatre production of which opens on 10 November.“There are so many topical parallels, or ” says Olivia Williams,who stars. But this Edwardian classic isn’t only a timeless drama of idealism v realpolitik. It’s also the tale of a lurid (shocking; sensational) sex scandal that destroys two lives – and one in which a woman’s story drives the plot. “I cant disclose you how rare that is,” says Williams. “There’s the Bechdel test, or which highlights where two women in a scene don’t talk about a man. But the acid test for me is,‘Can this plot proceed without my character?’ And this one couldn’t.”Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com