The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
    • Shows & On demand
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • Tumblr

  • RSS

CultureTheatre

The Political History of Smack and Crack at Soho Theatre

The Political History of Smack and Crack at Soho Theatre | Theatre review
7 September 2018
Michael Higgs
Michael Higgs
Avatar
Michael Higgs
7 September 2018

Theatre review

Michael Higgs

The Political History of Smack and Crack

★★★★★

Dates

4th September - 22nd September 2018

Price

315-£20

Links & directions

TwitterInstagramFacebookWebsiteMap

Whether you love, hate or feel indifferent about Margaret Thatcher and her ultra-conservative politics, one thing is certain: the 80s were a time of political upheaval, with many confusing events happening which are still thoroughly misunderstood to this day, and many stories which have been left untold – some of them shockingly brutal.

Ed Edwards’s The Political History of Smack and Crack tells one such tale, and it is a smashing success – even if the harsh truths, moments of unsparing violence and foul language can make it difficult to sit through. Mixing blunt, Northern humour with startling moments of drama, the play creates a tension which leaves the audience on the edge of their seats. But it is entirely worth it. By the end, the spectators are rooting for Mandy (Eve Steele) and Neil (Neil Bell), the working-class protagonists who suffer from long-term heroin addiction.

Based partly on the playwright’s personal experience with drugs in the 1990s, the piece explores Thatcherite Manchester from the perspective of two young and insecure lovers who fall into substance abuse. Always worrying where to get their next fix, they are forced to endure horrifying experiences: criminality, injecting unknown narcotics into their arms, rolling around on the floor in agonising pain. Steele and Bell present the story both in first and third-person, but the transition is always fluent, creating a coherent and compelling narrative which hooks from the start.

The two-hander is kept minimalistic, allowing both actors to showcase their brilliant aptitude. They portray their roles with all the necessary finesse demanded by complex characters whose emotions reach from ecstatic heights to terrifying lows. The subtle and effective music and sound effects by Jon McLeod and the clever use of lighting designed by Richard Williamson add an extra flair to the drama, intoxicating the onlookers throughout the entire runtime.

Unfortunately, the politics appear slightly shoehorned into the script. At several moments during the staging, the actors break the fourth wall and present a brief history lesson with biting anti-Thatcher critique. In a play which lasts merely an hour, this feels too forced – not to mention that the political message of this piece should be obvious enough throughout the otherwise outstanding show.

Despite this one flaw, The Political History of Smack and Crack remains an excellent performance and a dazzling production with astonishing writing and quick-witted humour. Unquestionably a must-see.

★★★★★

Michael Higgs
Photo: The Other Richard

The Political History of Smack and Crack is at Soho Theatre from 4th September until 22nd September 2018. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for The Political History of Smack and Crack here:

Related Itemsfeaturedreview

More in Theatre

The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the National Theatre

★★★★★
Brooke Snowe
Read More

“Sting always makes me want to choreograph”: An interview with ZooNation director Kate Prince

Cristiana Ferrauti
Read More

A Kind of People at the Royal Court Theatre

★★★★★
Connor Campbell
Read More

Thriller Live at Lyric Theatre

★★★★★
Sophia Moss
Read More

The Snow Queen at Park Theatre

★★★★★
Ghazaleh Golpira
Read More

Three Sisters at the National Theatre

Michael Higgs
Read More

The Duchess of Malfi at Almeida Theatre

★★★★★
Connor Campbell
Read More

A Taste of Honey at Trafalgar Studios

★★★★★
Jonathan Marshall
Read More

Christmas Carol: A Fairy Tale at Wilton’s Music Hall

★★★★★
Grace Walsh
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Theatre review

Michael Higgs

The Political History of Smack and Crack

★★★★★

Dates

4th September - 22nd September 2018

Price

315-£20

Links & directions

TwitterInstagramFacebookWebsiteMap

Tickets

Theatre tickets

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Five of the best Christmas afternoon teas in London
    Food & Drinks
  • Three Sisters at the National Theatre
    Theatre
  • IT London in Mayfair: Authentic and refined Italian dishes in a swanky restaurant
    ★★★★★
    Food & Drinks
  • The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the National Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Jumanji: The Next Level
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Amaya in Belgravia: A true testament to the magic of the tandoor
    ★★★★★
    Food & Drinks
  • The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the National Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Pulse Light Clinic: Laser hair removal review
    Fashion & Lifestyle
  • “Sting always makes me want to choreograph”: An interview with ZooNation director Kate Prince
    Theatre
  • A Kind of People at the Royal Court Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the National Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • IT London in Mayfair: Authentic and refined Italian dishes in a swanky restaurant
    ★★★★★
    Food & Drinks
  • The Snow Queen at Park Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Three Sisters at the National Theatre
    Theatre
  • A Taste of Honey at Trafalgar Studios
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2018 FL Media Ltd

Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt at the V&A | Exhibition review
The Second Violinist at the Barbican | Theatre review