The Absence of War, Rose Theatre

David Hare’s 1993 classic returns to the beautiful stage at Kingston — an ever-relevant depiction of British politics that marks the last in Hare’s trilogy, which premiered at the National a decade ago.
Originally performed in reparatory with Hare’s plays Racing Demon, which satirised the Church of England, and Murmuring Judges, which took on the judicial system, The Absence of War was the most successful in David Hare’s trilogy.
His touching, witty play is prefaced by a quote of John Major’s, 'When people start making visionary speeches about the green hills far away, it is time to reach for your bicycle and cycle away.' 
The Right Honourable George Jones is on the campaign trail; he has three weeks to convince the public that he is the Prime Minister for them. But George Jones is not the MP Labour wants, and in a fit of honesty, he sets aside his speech notes in an attempt to speak from the heart. A character in moral turmoil, he is described by his chief of staff as being overfond of the theatre: 'He likes tragedy too much. I don’t. To me, tragedy’s just a posh word for losing.'
Originally played by the late John Thaw, Reece Dinsdale (Waterloo Road, Coronation Street) now takes on the role of Jones — a character inspired by the MP Neil Kinnock. And walking in the footsteps of Richard Eyre, Jeremy Herrin, of Headlong Theatre, directs. Herrin has enjoyed the massive success of his staging of Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies in the West End, and last collaborated with Dinsdale on the National’s This House in 2012. 
The title, 'The Absence of War', refers to the 1990s dilemma of politicians feeling untested, and unproven - never having fought in a real war, but reduced to battling within their own parties. The play fittingly opens at the Cenotaph on Armistice Day. The Absence of War's continued political relevance is palpable, and the play will certainly be one to watch out for at Kingston's Rose Theatre next year.