The Shape of the Table

Amid the vast array of plays in London this month, David Edgar's Iron Curtain trilogy is one we're keeping at eye on. So, if you're looking for things to do in London, we recommend catching the first of the three. Apparently David Edgar began writing The Shape of the Table the day after the fall of the Berlin wall. It tells of the negotiations involved in creating a new democratic state after years of communist rule. And now, in the weeks following the 25th anniversary of the same event, it opens a repertory season of The Iron Curtain Trilogy, at The Cockpit.
What is perhaps most surprising about this revival is that it’s being staged by an American troupe. Burning Coal Theatre company are from North Carolina, and by the looks of their previous shows, are driven by a sincere interest in global politics, through the prism of British drama. They’ll therefore be making quite a journey to bring Edgar’s work to a small Marylebone studio space.
It’s a project that has got Edgar himself on board and re-editing elements of the writing; one of the stalwart dramatists of the last four decades, perhaps we Brits have taken the precision and insight of his work for granted? We look forward to the new insight this revival should bring to Europe’s current political landscape.