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Ruthless People: Ruthless - Arches Lane Theatre

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What is it about the Madoff’s that writers can’t resist writing about? Sure, it may have been the largest Ponzi scheme to collapse (so far), but there isn’t much more to explore. Or is there? In Ruthless by writer Roger Steinmann, Ruth Madoff is imagined as a wronged, gun-toting woman anchored in the past while trying to move on with her life. It’s not entirely successful but a fascinating look at life and wig choices, It’s currently playing at the theatre now known as the Arches Lane Theatre in Battersea. Ruth Madoff, played by Emily Swain, is here wearing a wig. I thought it was an odd look until I reviewed how closely it matched the photo of her interview in  The New York Times .  Typically, it’s the sort of wig you might see worn by Ladies on a night out in central London, not someone who once had over $80m in assets. With Bernie in Jail and both her sons now dead - one by suicide and one due to cancer, she is setting a table for the men who have left her. And ordering p...

Buffering and biding: Waiting for Lefty @twolinestheatre

Waiting for Lefty, Clifford Odets depression-era agitprop theatre piece gets transformed for the covid-era in this fascinating production that gives you a chance to both enjoy the work and immerse yourself in a post-show discussion about what you've just seen. It's an excellent concept for theatre streams and recreates interval moments of passing conversations (albeit curated with knowledgeable experts). By the end, you feel you appreciate the piece its context.

Streamed through Zoom, there's a thirties-era look and feel to the piece. Yet as the drama unfolds, it is within modern homes. The anachronistic treatment suits the material well. It calls for minimal staging, and so having actors perform within their own homes takes this to a new level. 

The piece starts with a group of cab drivers (and the audience) at a union meeting. The drivers are debating whether to strike for a living wage. And they're waiting for Lefty, their elected chairman, to give them an idea about what to do. Alongside this is a series of scenes where the harsh realities of capitalism are laid bare with stark choices for the characters. As part of the audience, it feels like your either a voyeur or part of the proceedings. It all depends on what takes your mood.

In the pandemic-induced recession with people out of work and struggling to make a living, it's not too much of a stretch to see parallels to life today. While living standards have improved, the rise of the gig economy where everyone is a contractor, and the false allure of being your boss, conceals the slow erosion of fair wages and free time as the time taken to earn a living takes longer further to do. And with the insatiable demand for home deliveries of everything from groceries to a hot meal via a smartphone, a work-life balance seems elusive for those who aren't in a job that allows them to work from home.

Food for thought and a call for action, Waiting For Lefty is streaming until 23 May. Directed by Phil Cheadle, it runs for an hour with a short break and a post-show panel moderated by Jacquelyn Landgraf. Check the website for details. 

Production photo by Zoe Leonard

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