The Gang's all here!
The Kings Head Theatre has now, somewhat annoyingly, decoupled from the eponymous pub and is now in a deep cellar round the corner with an entrance in (the new) Islington Square.
There to see ‘The Gang of Three’, the story of the relationship of Roy Jenkins, Tony Crossland and Dennis Healey as they fail to achieve the Labour Leadership over several years, from the moment when Roy resigns the Deputy position (in opposition) when Wilson’s Labour won’t support joining the EEC (as it was then).
This isn’t, quite, a political thriller (we do know how it ends!) – but it is at moments very engaging, relying on a script, and acting which makes their meetings together to plot (and to subvert the ambitions of their ‘friends’) at several key points – notionally the day before key internal elections – very convincing.
Nobody now really remembers what Crossland (Alan Cox) sounded like, but the two actors playing Jenkins (Hywel Morgan) and Healey (Colin Tierney) catch the essence of their man without ‘doing imitations’. Jenkins’ slight smarm and the roughness of tone that Healey could manage – his temper an issue – are convincing without being a parody.
Much of course has to be made-up (although this era is well documented, particularly by Richard Crossman) but all rings true, and it is clearly been well researched by Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky. And each of ‘The Gang’ appear as well rounded individuals with real pasts – the exchanges between Jenkins and Healey after the tragic death of Crossland) just before the leadership election which gave us Michael Foot, when Jenkins comes clean to Healey about the imminent SDP, to Healey’s fury, seems particularly honest in tone.
A flashback, to a room in Balliol in June 1940, just after Jenkins failed in an election bid at the Oxford Union adds poignancy (and depth) to his continuing relationship with Crossland, these were really long-standing friends).
This seems a basically truthful, or at least honest and believable play (it does capture Healey’s somewhat bullish sense of humour, for instance, Jenkin’s somewhat fastidious nature and Crossland’s love of excess) and it serves the (political) time well.
It’s selling well – should it transfer, transfer with it is my advice, if the period has any interest at all to you.