The Vertical Hour, Park Theatre
Sir David Hare’s moving intellectual drama exploring war was the fastest selling new play ever in 2008. It is revived at the Park Theatre this autumn.
The Vertical Hour, Park Theatre
A haunting past
War correspondent turned academic Nadia Blye and her boyfriend are visiting her boyfriend’s father, Oliver, a ‘lethally charming’ doctor. Though things seem amicable enough to begin with, Oliver grills Nadia on her stance concerning the war in Iraq. She is drawn to this charismatic man and his strong beliefs, but there is tension between father and son. As Nadia finds herself yearning for the past, the landscape of Sarajevo and Baghdad, she confides in Oliver, who in turn seems to be haunted by his past. It is through him we learn that the Vertical (or Golden) Hour is the first sixty minutes after a trauma or accident, when the victim’s chances of survival are at their greatest.
The creatives
Nigel Douglas— a multiple BAFTA award winning director— takes the reins of this new production. A writer-director himself, he will doubtless do great service to Hare’s emotive writing, which often looks at the separation of public and private lives.
Hare has had monumental success as a playwright— his three-hander Skylight is currently in the West End, starring Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy. Nighy also starred in the original New York run of Vertical Hour alongside movie star Julianne Moore and directed by Sam Mendes. Theatre critics Michael Billington described the show as “richly stimulating” and “an eye—opening experience.” In London, the parts were played by Anton Lesser and Indira Varma so we’re very excited to see who the Park Theatre find to star in this brilliant revival.
War correspondent turned academic Nadia Blye and her boyfriend are visiting her boyfriend’s father, Oliver, a ‘lethally charming’ doctor. Though things seem amicable enough to begin with, Oliver grills Nadia on her stance concerning the war in Iraq. She is drawn to this charismatic man and his strong beliefs, but there is tension between father and son. As Nadia finds herself yearning for the past, the landscape of Sarajevo and Baghdad, she confides in Oliver, who in turn seems to be haunted by his past. It is through him we learn that the Vertical (or Golden) Hour is the first sixty minutes after a trauma or accident, when the victim’s chances of survival are at their greatest.
The creatives
Nigel Douglas— a multiple BAFTA award winning director— takes the reins of this new production. A writer-director himself, he will doubtless do great service to Hare’s emotive writing, which often looks at the separation of public and private lives.
Hare has had monumental success as a playwright— his three-hander Skylight is currently in the West End, starring Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy. Nighy also starred in the original New York run of Vertical Hour alongside movie star Julianne Moore and directed by Sam Mendes. Theatre critics Michael Billington described the show as “richly stimulating” and “an eye—opening experience.” In London, the parts were played by Anton Lesser and Indira Varma so we’re very excited to see who the Park Theatre find to star in this brilliant revival.
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| What | The Vertical Hour, Park Theatre |
| Where | Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, London, N4 3JP | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Finsbury Park (underground) |
| When |
23 Sep 14 – 26 Oct 14, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM |
| Price | £12-£19.50 |
| Website | Click here to book via Park Theatre |