Thursday, 10 January 2013

American Justice review, Arts Theatre

There is a lot to be said about American justice, and little of it is good. Whether one's reading of wrongfully convicted Death Row prisoners, or of extraordinary rendition, or witnessing iniquitous demands that we extradite UK citizens for trial in the US in questionable and unreciprocated circumstances, American justice gets a bad press. Public figures seek refuge in South American embassies, living out of paper bags and eschewing the sun, rather than risk trial there.

Bluff Justice
The irony in Richard Vergette's smart new play, American Justice, is however saved for - and buried in - the relationship between a State congressman who not only forgives his daughter's murderer, but takes it on himself to teach the illiterate young man to read and write and get a proper education.

Is his motive really benign or is something else going on behind the bluff exterior? And what of the young man: when you're banged up for life, is education a gift or a curse? Perhaps there's been insufficient rehearsal time, but neither lead inhabits his role. There is no evidence of the huge personal and political growth they undergo over the eight year period of the action. It is testament to Vergette's writing that despite clunky changes of gear, shameful accents, and lightweight emoting, this production maintains sufficient tension to keep you hooked.

In conclusion: It's an interesting and thought provoking play and well worth a look if you can put on your Disney head for 90 minutes and make leaps in your imagination to get past the failings of the production.

References
Arts Theatre, tickets
Charles Spencer review in The Daily Telegraph
at

16 comments:

  1. Anonymous10 January 2013 at 22:57

    not really encouraging....

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  2. Shyama10 January 2013 at 23:18

    A hard one to call. My companion was even less generous about the play, but if you're good at laying your own version over what's there, it helps! Some vigorous dialect coaching over the next few days would improve things - it was a bit reverse Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins, the young lad's accent slipped in and out of US generic, Cockney, Antipodean, and West Country.

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  3. Anonymous12 January 2013 at 08:11

    What a vacuous and facile review Miss P. Are you really a journalist? More like a failed one if this shoddy, unintelligent and amateurishly written piece of garbage is anything to go by. A schoolgirl could write a better review than this. American Justice is a quality piece of theatre. Ryan Gage's accent is pure Arkansas and a brilliant rendition of that accent. Peter Tate's accent
    is pure Louisiana and extremely well observed. I should know, I'm American. You're review is reverse good and you're like the Bloody Mary of online blogging. Please, please, give up this ridiculous and badly written site as you clearly don't know what you're talking about. EVERYBODY GO AND SEE AMERICAN JUSTICE, IT IS A BRILLIANTLY ACTED AND DIRECTED PLAY ABOUT THE INJUSTICE OF THE AMERICAN LEGAL SYSTEM.

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  4. Shyama12 January 2013 at 12:31


    The play is not about the American legal system but the complex relationship between two men. The legal system provides the context, but not the content. As for your other comments - I bow to your opinions even if I, obviously, don't share them. When it comes to debating, I tend to be more British than US in my approach, the one area of life in which I ally myself with Piers Morgan:) http://now.msn.com/piers-morgan-debates-alex-jones-about-gun-control

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  5. Anonymous12 January 2013 at 13:57

    It is really about the breakdown on the legal and education system and the effects tht it has on people's lives. In the same way that A View From The Bridge is about the economic breakdown of American society. Good plays are not always just about the central relationships and dilemma on stage. I feel you showed great disrespect to the actors in this play by not even knowing their names and writing what amounted to tabloid style review without analysing anything from acting, set design, lighting, atmosphere of the play. You focussed on one thing, accents, which was wrong. The accents are indeed accurate. It is my experience that most Brits couldn't tell if an American accent is authentic or not as their ears are not attuned to it, particularly regional US accents.What is a generic US accent anyway? Do you mean standard American? Nobody in that play is doing standard American. I just feel that if you are running a website called Monkey Matters, perhaps get the monkey to write the review as it will probably do a better job.

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  6. Shyama12 January 2013 at 14:32

    I disagree with your reading of the play, but that doesn't mean that you are wrong or that I am right. We each take away something different from what we see. The link between education and crime is played out constantly here as well as in the US. What makes this play interesting is not the background, but the foreground: the writer develops what should be a tight and taut psychological game where the boundaries of good and bad blur. Thankfully, the script is so good, one still picks up on that, even in this production. I did, anyway. That said, you are probably right in thinking a monkey would do a better job of reviewing the play. Perhaps you are acquainted with a suitable candidate? If so, please email contact details. In the meantime, I will be linking the review to a literary criticism in one of the broadsheet newspapers, as I always do, once they are posted. Thank you for your comments.

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  7. Anonymous13 January 2013 at 08:02

    I'm sorry but you are terribly wrong. You clearly cannot recognise good theatre when you see it. You have no business writing theatre reviews and 'linking' them to broadcheets (whatever that means anyway). I don't think you should infect that wonderful play with such a nonsensical piece of garbage that you've written. You will be made to look stupid anyway when the reviews come out as I predict they will all rave about it. Like you, I go to see lots of theatre and as an American Theatre lover I would put American Justice in the same category as the excellent Clybourne Park, which won awards. I suggest you go and see AJ again, and this time bring a companion who has all their mental faculties about them. And as for the monkey to write your reviews, please choose one who can analyse more than the accents in a play, and who doesn't end their reviews with a puerile 'in conclusion' at the end. I was almost expecting you to write '..and then I woke up to discover it was all a dream'...I wish your review was! Don't give up your day job Miss P, which I'm sure cannot be journalism or God help us all! At the very least, show some respect to the actors by actually naming them.

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  8. Shyama13 January 2013 at 17:35

    I showed respect by not naming them. As for the Clybourne Park reference, to to me that's like comparing a gourmet meal with an excellent bar snack, but again, that's just my opinion. Thank you for your passion and insight and your interrogation, which has been very helpful.

    Addendum: I have deleted a review posted by this anonymous correspondent to 'redress the balance'. Visitors to this site can decide on the veracity of what is posted by looking at the archive. As soon as press night reviews for this production are up, one will be linked to the MM review for general consumption in keeping with house style.

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  9. Anonymous13 January 2013 at 18:05

    Of course you'll delete anything that contradict your rubbish review. Very much the kind of censorship that the Stasi perpertrated in East Germany...

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  10. Shyama17 January 2013 at 10:32

    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/316187c4-5fe2-11e2-b128-00144feab49a.html#axzz2IE8PPRtB
    http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/stage/theatre/article3659302.ece
    http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/american-justice-arts-theatre-london-8453880.html
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2013/jan/16/american-justice-review

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  11. Anonymous17 January 2013 at 13:20

    I notice you put the worst one at the top you charlatan. Don't forget the three 4 star reviews now...

    http://www.standard.co.uk/arts/theatre/american-justice-arts-w1--review-8453435.html

    http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831358335119/American+Justice.html

    http://www.whatsonstage.com/news/theatre/london/E8831358335119/American+Justice.html

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  12. Anonymous17 January 2013 at 13:21

    And a little note from a 4 star review about the actor you forgot was even in the play

    There is strong support throughout by David Schaal (from The Inbetweeners fame), as prison ward Herb Stevens, providing an alternative voice to the Congressman’s liberal views, often delivering the funniest lines.

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  13. Anonymous17 January 2013 at 13:24

    The names of the three main actors in the hit play American Justice are: Ryan Gage (Fenton), David Schaal (Stevens) and Peter Tate (Daniels)

    There is a bit of a clue there as to who has been correcting your review errors..

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  14. Anonymous17 January 2013 at 13:26

    Whoops I put the WOS review twice (so many good ones to choose from I got confused) Here is the other great review from Public Reviews

    http://www.thepublicreviews.com/american-justice-arts-theatre-london/

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  15. Anonymous17 January 2013 at 13:56

    And another rave...

    http://www.ayoungertheatre.com/review-american-justice-arts-theatre/comment-page-1/#comment-537728

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  16. Shyama17 January 2013 at 16:57

    No errors in my review, only in your ripostes. As for the clue that you are involved with the production, I applaud your valiant stand against criticism, but wonder if you might have better served your team by controlling the personal abuse and bullying. An extreme reaction to two words in a generally positive review has led to a discussion that shows the whole production in a bad light, which is not fair to the performers, or to you, or to me. If you post any more abusive messages, they will be excised as I feel your views are now fully aired. Thank you.

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