"HANNAH: It's all trivial . . . It's wanting to know that makes us
matter. Otherwise we're going out the way we came in. -Tom Stoppard,
"Arcadia""

Saw this play while I was in London about a year and a half ago. Liked
parts of it, but as much as I like Tom Stoppard's work overall, I think
that if they're going to produce a play like this they should at least
have the politeness to TELL you that there's math involved. I didn't know
there would be a test.

(And since somebody's bound to ask...in addition to Stoppard, I'm very
fond of the work of Joe Orton, Harold Pinter (though a little of that goes
a long way), and Alan Ayckbourn (whose "Norman Conquests" is/are
wonderful). I also saw "Dancing at Luhnasa," and to this day don't
understand what all the furor was about, though it was a fine enough
play.)

Whenever I'm in London, I try to see as much theater as I can, because so
much of it is so well done there. Though, I must confess, I dozed off
halfway through a Restoration period sex farce (well, an attempt at same)
at the RSC Swan Theater that was dry as sawdust. "The Woman in Black"
remains one of the most entertaining small plays in London, a terrific
little ghost story that draws you in whether you want to be drawn in or
not. (The Buddy Holly autobiographical play is thin on plot, great on
music. But then, so was "Return to Forbidden Planet," and that was a hoot
also.) And the new staging of "An Inspector Calls" is just terrific.

This has been your theater review for the day. Thankyew.





jms