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It's refreshing to see
new writing amongst the revivals and musicals in the West End, and
even better when it's a play like Kenneth Lonergan's "Lobby
Hero", which makes demands of its audience and leaves you unsettled
and thoughtful for some time afterwards.
Lonnergan has two plays running in the West End
at the moment, the other being "This Is Our Youth", shortly
to star Matt Damon. Cinema-goers may know Lonnergan's critically
acclaimed film, "You Can Count On Me". And if they do,
they will be familiar with his skill and compassion in portraying
the moral dilemmas and complications of everyday life.
The "Lobby Hero" of the ironic title is Jeff, working
the night shift as a security guard in a Manhattan apartment building
after being thrown out of the navy for smoking pot. Now lodging
in his brother's apartment, Jeff is obviously lonely and longs to
make a new life for himself, dreaming vaguely of being 'in advertising'.
His supervisor, William, sees his potential and, being a great believer
in self-improvement, is frustrated by Jeff's indolence and wise-cracking
attitude. He's also a believer in doing what is right: "if
you stick to the rules, then you never have to have a discussion
about whether or not you were justified not sticking to the rules".
The problem is, there are no absolute rules in
these characters' world, leaving the four characters to resolve
their increasingly intertwined dilemmas in their own ways. A senior
policeman, Bill, and his rookie partner, Dawn, are introduced already
embroiled in this conflict. Dawn has proved overzealous in her duties,
restraining a drunk who may now be permanently injured. An inquest
is pending, and Bill reassures her that she did what was right.
But how much can she trust Bill, who may be her role model in the
force (and Lonnergan leaves us in no doubt that he is an
excellent policeman), but whose personal moral code, leading him
to pay nightly visits to the apartment building during Jeff's shift,
is less admirable. How can you have faith in people's ability to
perform public duties if their integrity is compromised by their
private life? Sadly, that is a question continually put before us
all, sometimes as much within the
Church as in the secular world.
And which rules should take precedence when there is conflict between
different ethical codes? William finds himself asked to give an
alibi for his brother, who may have been involved in a serious crime.
Initially, he thinks he knows what the right thing to do is. Then
he meets the lawyer allocated to his brother, who seems less than
competent. What if justice is compromised through the lawyer's lack
of commitment? Is it fair to let his brother possibly suffer the
consequences? What is the 'right thing' to do by his family? And
what should Jeff, in whom William has confided, do?
Especially when he's trying to find favour with Dawn...
You won't find solutions or glib answers in Lonnergan's
world. Neither can the audience dismiss any of the characters' choices
as obviously 'wrong'. We are forced to share their confusion, their
desire to do good, and the result may leave us feeling more compassionate
and a little less certain about how easy it is to know, never mind
do, what is right.
Director: Mark Brokaw
Jeff: David Tennant
William: Gary McDonald
Dawn: Charlotte Randall
Bill: Dominic Rowan
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