Where do the political and the personal meet… and, indeed, mirror one another? How dangerous is the rising tide of nationalism? Rib Davis’ latest stage play The Sword of Alex has got people talking! We’ve rounded up our favourite review highlights – plus top tweets and a brand-new trailer – below. Time to get booking!
The Sword of Alex, the latest stage play from Fringe First award-winning dramatist and best-selling author Rib Davis, has premiered at London’s White Bear Theatre in a limited season running until 6 October 2018.
You’d never defeat me in politics, not in the politics of left and right. But it’s a hell of a lot easier to get people to fight over identity than it is over ideas. Isn’t that right?
Four people whose lives are a mess. Now they have to sort things out. But they are horribly intertwined. The country is on the verge of civil war as a region attempts to break away from the state. Two versions of nationalism clash head-on. Two leaders and their nations pitted against each other. Each must destroy the others’ version of history. But families are no less tribal than nations. As the great games are played out at a national level, so too are domestic power struggles. This is a play that brings together national destiny, gender politics and the very ideas of identity and belonging.
The Sword of Alex stars Georgia Winters, Kate Terence, DK Ugonna and Patrick Regis. The premiere production is directed by Brian Woolland and designed by Alys Whitehead, with lighting and sound by Chuma Emembolu. The play is presented at the White Bear by Beyond the Pale Theatre, a new company focusing on plays which present a fresh slant on social and political issues of the day.
Vox pops
Review highlights
Michael Davis: “Patrick Regis is well-cast as the impassioned Antonio, you believe without question why he was elected leader… Kate Terence as Calantha is equally Antonio’s match in being multi-faceted and impassioned… What gives The Sword of Alex its resonance is its relatability to the here and now. Once you spot the subtext in Rib Davis’ writing, you’ll realise EVERYTHING is about independence in the political and personal arenas, and how they blur into one.”
Top tweets
