John Baker’s Blog

Early in his career Henrik Ibsen prophesied: One of these days, the younger generation will come knocking at my door. And they certainly did. They wanted to see and hear the man who had revolutionised drama during the second half of the nineteenth century.
The Nobel committee, however, didn’t come knocking at all. Instead, they gave [...]

This play, written and directed by Anthony Neilson is touring the country and currently playing at the Theatre Royal, York. First performed as part of the 2004 Edinburgh Festival, the National Theatre of Scotland production brings together the original cast.
Dissocia is a country, a world, of infinite possibilities, not unlike Alice’s Wonderland, and it also [...]

Although not the best (or the best-known) of Miller’s plays, The Price is not without interest for a modern audience, dealing, as it does, with contemporary and timeless themes.
Act One opens with Victor Franz (Robert G Slade) strolling around the attic in which the material remains of his deceased parents are stored. Victor is [...]

We were at the Manchester Royal Exchange yesterday to watch George and Martha strip each other of the individual and collective illusions embedded in the long night of their twenty-three-year-old marriage.
We knew it was a good play, but this production also has a great cast. Barbara Marten is wonderful as Martha, swinging wildly, like a [...]