A review of the play “The Philanthropist”
I don’t go to the theatre anywhere near as often as I should like but I’ve resolved to change this. I recently became one of the last people in the UK to se the musical “Les Miserables”. Then, this weekend, I went to see a play at the Trafalgar Studios in London.
It was “The Philanthropist” which was written by Christopher Hampton when he was just 23 and first produced in 1970. In this revival directed by Simon Callow, the cast is apparently younger than is normally the case with this work. I recognised Matt Berry from the television series “The IT Crowd” and Lily Cole from media photographs.
It is a simple play to put on with merely one set which is just a living room. There are only seven characters and one says absolutely nothing while another has a dead short appearance. None of the characters are endearing, with the main one declaring “I’m a man of no convictions. At least I think I am”.
It is moderately funny but dated in its satirisation of academia and overly cynical for my taste. I’ll do better next time …