Robert Tanitch reviews Privacy at Donmar Theatre, London WC2
James Graham wrote This House, a witty and massively entertaining docudrama about parliamentary whips during the Margaret Thatcher era. It was a big success at the National Theatre.
Graham’s latest play is verbatim theatre and is a documentary based on journalists, politicians and analysts he and the Donmar have interviewed; books, articles and reports he and the Donmar have read; and films and documentaries he and the Donmar have watched. Josie Rourke directs and six actors play numerous roles.
We live, for better, for worse, in a digital age which has no respect for privacy. Edward Snowden’s revelations that the UK and US governments regularly spy on us is alarming. But not surprising. George Orwell warned us years ago that Big Brother would be watching us all the time.
Governments and corporations today know exactly what we are all up to. Foreign Secretary William Hague’s assurance that “law-abiding citizens have nothing to fear from the Intelligence services” produces a knowing laugh from the audience.
Are you absolutely certain that your phone is not being hacked? What should we do if we want to guard our privacy completely? It’s simple really. Don’t go on line. Don’t surf the net. Don’t use your mobile phone. Don’t email. Don’t tweet. Don’t use Facebook. Don’t watch You Tube. And don’t take selfies and dispatch them to your friends.
James Graham and the Donmar hope (I quote) “that some of you in the audience each night will help us explore the issue a little further. We’d like to do this by taking a look at the digital footprint all of us are leaving online – on places like Facebook and Twitter, for example. If you’d like to help us in this part of the show, we want to hear from you.”
To learn more about Robert Tanitch and his reviews, click here to go to his website
