Events, dear boy

Posted by sarah at Fri, 25/07/2008 - 12:21pm in

"...indeed let us be frank about it – most of our people have never had it so good."

Last night some of the Mandate team headed down to the National Theatre on London's South Bank to see the Howard Brenton play Never So Good , an engaging political drama about the life and times of British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan (Big thanks to Mr Bethell, the party leader of our trip, for arranging a fantastic evening).

Leading man Jeremy Irons was captivating throughout from the moment he hobbled on to the stage to the opening line of "I always had trouble with my teeth. Bad teeth are not good in politics." Irons brought to life the complex character of Macmillan, haunted by his experience in the First World War, maintained a British stiff-upper lip throughout.  We were taken on the journey through Macmillan's life at a quick pace with seamless set changes, a colourful and all-dancing cast and some unexpected pyrotechnics that the Mandate team felt the full force of from the third row!

Perhaps more of an insight into the personality of Macmillan than the politics, we got a window into his expulsion from Eton, troubled relationship with his mother, his service in the Great War, the beginnings of his political career, his opposition to Chamberlain's appeasement policy and his friendship with Churchill.

In the second half there was a darker tone as the set transformed into the corridors of power in Westminster and set the scene for the political scheming that surrounded the Suez crisis that ultimately brought down Eden.  Macmillan's eventual rise to Prime Minister in 1957 was somewhat skipped past, although the pace slowed with a drawn out focus on Britain's 'special relationship' with the United States and negotiations over nuclear technology.

Perhaps there is a lot that we can learn from revisiting the Premiership of Macmillan, the man who loyally waited for power for so long only to ultimately see it slip away from his grasp.  Irons captured the reserved, conservative character of Macmillan, a man who was ultimately judged out of touch with the swinging sixties generation.  Paradoxically, we hear today Gordon Brown, a leader who has equally struggled to relate to the electorate, speaking of an agenda for the future and the so-called ipod generation.  After last night's "political earthquake" and the growing economic turmoil, Gordon Brown must dwell on the words of Macmillan when asked about the challenges that define all leaders: "Events, dear boy, events".

Tagged with: UK politics, Theatre, Harold Macmillan