Agitprop. There’s not much of it about nowadays (although Putin is probably changing that) but here’s a go.
John Reed and lover Louise Bryant were in Petrograd for the October Revolution when the Bolsheviks, under Lenin, toppled the Kerensky government.
Reed wrote about this in his book, Ten Days that Shook the World, which this short play draws on.
It’s an enthusiastic quintet who take to the stage; Katrina Rose, Fionnuala Donnelly, Natasha Du Prez, Jake Bishop-Ponte and Yves Morris. Freda Peeple was absent … but a very young Eli Wooding played great piano, plus doing impromptu magic before the show.
Photo © Philip Horton
A little soft pedal on the piano would help with hearing some of the dialogue, but the old Bell Love Lounge wasn’t really built for ideal acoustics.
There’s a mixture of songs, theatre and commentary based on John Reed’s book and while the Proletariat vs the Bourgeoisie isn’t the fight any more, a little political awareness should always be welcome.
Well done Thereby Hangs a Tale and good luck with the tour.
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Reviewer: Philip Horton
‘Ten Days that Shook The World’ by Thereby Hangs a Tale Productions, directed by Milo Morris, was at The Bell Back Bar in Bath on Saturday 1st June and Sunday 2nd June.
