Sam Pout

10 Feb 2021

1. Tony Kushner is a fantastic writer, creating a text full of poetic imagery and harrowing realism.

Set within the height go the AIDS epidemic in New York, Angels in America consists of two parts: Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, both reaching nearly eight hours of stage time. Kushner’s text is highly original in its form as well as theatrical gesture with poetic delivery, demonstrating the fluidity of life and how we perceive such states of being. Kushner also breaches into the theatrically absurd by transporting us to such extreme environments; Harper, played by Denis Gough finds herself in the Antarctic, and Prior, played by Andrew Garfield embarks on a pilgrimage to heaven. This non uniformity of space, as well as fluidity of ideas enforces the idea of a society in motion, otherwise known as modernity. Ideas which can enhance a society’s awareness but inevitably brings limitations which tests society itself. 

2. Marianne Eliot's unbelievably Epic production is compelling, unique and unapologetically dramatic. 

3. The Angles cast embodies Kushner's characters with such talent, they will never let you go. 

Andrew Garfield’s Prior is the most central character, with his battle against AIDS framing the production. Prior is unlike any other role Garfield has played, he is completely compelling in portraying such a strong character facing inner oppression (mentally and physically). But above all, Garfield embodies a heartbreakingly innocent man who is also insanely hilarious throughout, helping to alleviate the text’s harrowing subject. Nathan Lane is also fantastic, depicting Roy Cohn; a complex man who is manipulatively evil, and yet his mental fragility and internalised homophobia arguably earns pity. Additionally, Denis Gough, Russell Tovey and James McArdle all eloquently portray how the AIDS crisis tested relationships during such a challenging time for America and how the epidemic was not just affecting the gay community, but was a crisis that affected the whole country, unjustly silenced by those in power. Kushner intended actors to multirole, to infer the fluidity of gender and sexuality, Susan Brown achieves this with such deception that it almost unnerves the audience at how easily she can transition from Mormon mother to ex-Soviet politician! Lastly I would argue that out of the whole cast, Amanda Lawrence is the most mesmerising; a brilliant performer who transcends boundaries between human and supernatural entities. WIth the help of the costume and wig departments, her caring nurse is fantastically juxtaposed against the homeless woman, forever toying with our expectation of what we see. However, her portrayal of the Angel is the most effective; with such physicality, along with a team of ‘shadows’, they become the otherworldly character breaching the gap between heaven and Earth, an aesthetic marvel which has to be witnessed.

4. If ylou thought Channel 4's It's a Sin was good, then wait till you see this!

It is thoroughly important to document events of our history, despite them seeming dated in today’s society, they are dated for a reason: an evocation of a specific time of hardship which is not universal and will hopefully never happen again. Channel 4’s It’s a Sin was an excellent example of how the AIDS crisis affected Britain and London specifically. However, its conclusion didn’t explicitly portray all effects of the epidemic - thankfully AIDS was not always a death sentence. In 1986 drug trials started to show improvements in science’s understanding of the disease, lessening the fear which later helped the crisis’ visibility to increase. Kushner’s text demonstrates the dichotomy of AIDS being life and death, hindering the volatility of the disease, mirroring the oppressive and harsh complexity of American society. 

5. If you want to support the arts when it's at its most vulnerable, why not do so by watching such a monumentous production. 

Angels in America seems highly resonant today, due to its discussion on a nation’s health and the efficiency and guidance of those in power, (or lack of), demonstrating how theatre’s ability to stage the transcendence of social ideas and cultural events. However, more importantly, now is the time to actively support industries which have struggled throughout the pandemic and resources that we previously took foe granted. The National Theatre is a charity which claims to be a theatre ‘for everyone’, and its online streaming service demonstrates how their work serves the interests of the UK. At the moment, the NT is showing some of the shows it has produced exploring ideas on race and the female experience, all in many different forms of theatre ranging from Greek and Shakespeare to the contemporary and provocative styles of today. However, if you go onto the NT website, you will be able to see how much work the charity does around the country, proving that the NT isn’t just a London-centric organisation.