Last night I had the opportunity to attend Bingo: Scenes of Money and Death by Edward Bond at the Young Vic. It is not one I particularly relished. I would love to say there was something about the production I enjoyed, but I really can't. I don't think I can express to you how absolutely terrible this production is. It is really, really, really bad. And I feel terrible saying that because I got to talk to Patrick Stewart (who plays the role of Shakespeare) before the show, and he is just one of the nicest people. So nice, in fact, that I almost stayed for the second act. Almost. But I didn't.
To be perfectly honest, this play is fundamentally incomprehensible. I may be coming down hard on playwrights, but this really goes too far. As far as I can tell (and be corroborated by the great sage wikipedia), this is a historical fiction, Marxist interpretation of the last years of Shakespeare's life in which all he wants to do is sit. I know they say make your characters want something, but I don't think this is what they meant. The first act of this play also features his daughter (a greedy bitch), an old gardener with the mind of a 12 year old (this is how he is described by his wife), an angry preacher, a "witch" (she's killed for arson and shaking), and Combe (I think he's meant to represent the "establishment"). Let that sink in for a bit. The script features heavy handed condemnations of violent entertainment (bear-baiting), capitalism, money, success, and the common man. For being a marxist writer, Bond is incredibly aristocratic. As for the title: "Art has very practical consequences. Most 'cultural appreciation' ignores this and is no more relevant than a game of 'Bingo' and less honest." If you understand that, please explain in the comments. Thank you.
So yeah. I literally can't say anything more than that. I did not understand a word of what transpired on the stage in front of me. Stewart is probably very good, but Bond gave him nothing to work with.
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