With Britain still basking in the feel-good factor generated by the Olympics, it's amazing to think that just over a year ago London was burning, after the shooting of a man in Tottenham by police led to rioting and looting across the capital and beyond.
Various reasons were put forward for the causes of the unrest: from "feral youth" and an opportunistic criminal "underclass" to disenchantment with "Broken Britain", as well as the mobilising force of social networking tools such as BBM and Twitter.
The real answer? All of the above (and more), and none in particular. Or, "Everything and nothing," as 14-year-old Jamie, whose part in the riots "was the best day of my life", as he says in Julia Taudevin and Kieran Hurley's gripping take on events as part of A Play, A Pie and A Pint.
The end result is a not-to-be missed piece of dynamite that succeeds in making the political personal, and vice-versa, by focusing on the relationship between a sink estate mother and her son (two stunning performances from Taudevin and Sean Brown), living in a tower block in Chalk Farm.
The writing crackles with energy and insight as Liz Carruthers's vibrant production atmospherically captures Jamie's excitement at being part of the psycho-geography, part of the "history" of the movie unfolding before him, as well as Maggie's bubbling frustration at being judged by her marginalised circumstances – "chavs and scum" – when all she wants is the best for herself and her son.
An emotionally mature work. My only quibble is the play's moral dilemma resolution.
Sponsored by Heineken.
HHHH
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