The Greatest Play in the History of the World
Does it live up to its claim?
3 stars
A man wakes in the middle of the night to discover that the world has stopped. It was exactly 04:40. The title, intriguing and vague, leaves you wondering what the greatest play in the history of the world could possibly be.
The Greatest Play in the History of the World written by Ian Kershaw and directed by Rax Shaw is performed by a single actor, Julie Hesmondhalgh, through monologue alone. I was quite impressed how one actor managed to deliver a full seventy minutes of a play single handedly. When I arrived at Trafalgar studios, I was surprised to find an intimate theatre consisting of very few rows. It was a true story-telling experience with the audience huddled around, listening to what happens next. This made for a deeply personal experience since you could lock eyes with Hesmondhalgh herself. Furthermore, she interacted with the audience directly which lets you get very absorbed in the play.
The creativity in the props used was clever, she told various stories using shoes and their boxes alone. Hesmondhalgh borrows the audience’s shoes to aid her story-telling which is quite unique. The background wallpaper consisted of glittering sparkles and so you felt like you were in a different world entirely. Hesmondhalgh was also impressively funny. It is usually very difficult to make me laugh however Hesmondhalgh’s connection with the audience made it easy.
My main criticism of the show is that the plot can be quite confusing and the language used can be difficult to follow. Kershaw’s play alludes to the voyager through the play and parallels Carl Sagan’s universal messages on the voyager to love. The allusion to the voyager was clear however the plot itself surrounding this frozen time around the main characters was hard to follow. Potentially I may not have the appreciation for it since it seemed more aimed at others in the world of acting. However, the creativity in the set overpowers the confusion and I left with my heart warmed by the delivery. Hesmondhalgh’s glow also carries you pleasantly throughout the play. Although it may not have been the greatest play in the history of the world, I understand the reason for its name and appreciated the talent showcased in the play.
