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In The Republic of Happiness

The Royal Court Theatre presents IN THE REPUBLIC OF HAPPINESS by Martin Crimp at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, Sloane Square, London. I saw this work in January, 2013. IN THE REPUBLIC OF HAPPINESS by Martin Crimp is a one act, three scene play with no interval. Each scene has a title. The first scene is entitled: DESTRUCTION OF THE FAMILY. It begins at a family Christmas lunch. Three generations: grandparents (Anna Calder-Marshall and Peter Wight), mum and dad (Emma Fielding and Stuart McQuarrie), uncle and aunt (Paul Ready and Michelle Terry), and two nieces (Seline Hizli and Ellie…

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Gross und Klein

  Sydney Theatre Company presents GROSS UND KLEIN by Botho Strauss at the Sydney Theatre (BIG AND SMALL, English Text by Martin Crimp). GROSS UND KLEIN (Big and Small) by Botho Strauss premièred at the Schaubhne am, Halleschen Ufer, Berlin in December, 1978, directed by Peter Stein. In 1988 the Sydney Theatre Company presented BIG AND LITTLE under the guest direction of German, Harald Clemen, with Robyn Nevin in the lead role of Lotte (the play has also been produced at the National Institute of Dramatic Art). GROSS UND KLEIN directed by Benedict Andrews (replacing Luc Bondy) and starring Cate…

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Dealing With Clair

Photo: Laura Brent – Dealing With Clair mt productions and Griffin Independent present DEALING WITH CLAIR by Martin Crimp. DEALING WITH CLAIR is a very early Martin Crimp (1988) and it is interesting to see alongside the STC production of the more recent Crimp play THE CITY (2008). Whether it be the “auteur” tendencies of Benedict Andrews or nor, or, if it is just the development of the writer’s styles (and aesthetic interests) over time, I found Cristabel Sved’s Direction of DEALING WITH CLAIR very engrossing and clear in the service of the playwright. This work set out to solve…

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The City

  Photo – Belinda McClory – The City Sydney Theatre Company at Wharf 2 present THE CITY by Martin Crimp. Presented by arrangement with the English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre. Maybe written as a companion piece to Mr Crimp’s play THE COUNTRY (2000), THE CITY (2008) concerns a young couple, Clair (Belinda McClory) and Christopher (Colin Moody) living in a city under the contemporary pressures of job insecurity, and the influence of a world full of war, torture and terrorism, of all kinds – close at hand and far away. It reveals a world of the fracturing…

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