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MARY CONWAY is impressed by a deeply thought provoking and immensely topical new play
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New releases from Thorpe and Morrison, Daria Kulesh, and Will Finn and Rosie Calvert
RINA ARYA confronts the brutal operation of Francis Bacon’s approach to portraiture
Emphasising his continuous engagement in labour movement struggles, ALISTAIR FINDLAY salutes John Foster’s contribution as activist, strategist, intellectual and defender of the Morning Star
ANDY MIAH advocates the use of AI to assist people by expanding access to global literature and culture
EWAN KOTZ relishes a veteran Glasgow band that have lost none of their verve for live performance
The Constituent
The Old Vic, London
IT’S rare, in the current climate, to explore the intimate life of a good, well-meaning MP, but Joe Penhall’s The Constituent does just that.
Monica, played with earnest conviction by Anna Maxwell Martin, is an opposition backbencher, bravely fielding responsibility at every turn. Personally, she’s an overstretched wife, daughter and mum; professionally her time is filled — not so much with the glamour of Westminster but with a relentless stream of troubled constituents at her regular surgery.
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