Review - Tony's Last Tape, Omnibus Theatre, Clapham

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joNVN
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Review - Tony's Last Tape, Omnibus Theatre, Clapham

Postby joNVN » Sun Apr 07, 2019 10:04 pm

Review - Tony's Last Tape, Omnibus Theatre

We were invited to Clapham’s Omnibus Theatre to see Tony’s Last Tape. I’ve always enjoyed the theatre experiences at The Omnibus, such a great local venue showcasing an  exciting range of work, to be enjoyed over a glass of wine.
Andy Barrett’s play Tony’s Last Tape, is based on the diaries of one of Britain’s most recognised politicians, Tony Benn. The play sees Benn (Philip Bretherton) in his study thinking over his life, his friends, rivals, and political career. Philip Bretherton gives a great solo performance for the 75 minutes. He not only embodies Benn’s voice, appearance and mannerisms, but, brings the audience into emotions of Benn reflecting over his very eventful life, the good, the bad, the right and the wrong decisions.  
Along with the emotion, there is a lovely mix of wit and humour throughout the play. The writer Andy Barrett, has used Benn’s legacy and experiences and mixed it with much of the present. It’s very thought provoking given the current political landscape.
All set within Benn’s cluttered study, rather than just sitting at the desk and talking at the audience, the character potters around, rummaging in desk drawers and bookcases, frequently stumbling on long-forgotten objects that spark new memories and anecdotes, with a very funny scene involving a children’s megaphone.
In all, Tony’s Last Tape is a wonderful and fascinating insight into Tony Benn, a touching play that will entertain everyone whatever your political views.
Tony’s Last Tape is on at The Omnibus Theatre, Clapham until 20th April.
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Needcoffeenow
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Re: Review - Tony's Last Tape, Omnibus Theatre, Clapham

Postby Needcoffeenow » Mon Apr 15, 2019 8:31 am

Saw this last week and agree it is absolutely excellent. Philip Bretherton is very convincing and the play packs a great range of moods from laugh out loud funny to poignant. Benn was also around for a long time so this play is a fascinating look back over several decades of life and politics. What comes across is his interest in and belief in the future and the way his non conformist religious upbringing gave him tremendous optimism about people in general. The Omnibus is a great venue too and now we know they do light food we’ll be going there next time for pre-theatre refreshment.
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