Showing @ The Space @ Surgeons Hall until Sat 23 Aug @ 22:40
Having popped up last year with an account of the life and very drunk times of Karl Marx, Ben Blow has written an equally irreverent sequel. Shenanigans of all sorts are in store, and historical accuracy be rightly damned. No-one ever laughed reading Das Kapital.
First we revisit the world of the 1848 revolutions, and Marx and Engels’ attempts to spread the communist word to those in need – or, in Karl’s case, those readers most likely to guarantee his longevity. The second half is a very cleverly orchestrated parody: a mash-up of Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now and the British Opium Wars. A lot to get into an hour and a half, but it works remarkably well. The script veers between crudeness, wit and well-articulated political theory, though a basic grasp of Marxism certainly helps the jokes tick along.
Sadly, the show feels as neglected as it did last year. Shoe-string production values don’t detract from the script, but it does feel like the play deserves a better venue, better props, an overall upgrade. Some ideas work perfectly in a stripped-back setting, but the themes here are so large that they’d really benefit from a greater investment. It’s possible that the perfect platform for Engels! would be a tour of the trade unions, possibly in the run up to the next General Election. In fact, that’s a terrible proposition, the arguments will be unlikely to die down by Christmas…