Lessons in Botany Bay
Our Country’s Good
Olivier, National Theatre
When Our Country’s Good came out in 1988, it was hailed as a masterpiece. Its message that art can transform the most wretched of lives resonated with theatre audiences then, and it’s clear that Timberlake Wertenbaker’s play remains important, a love letter to the theatre laced with an anger against those who try to curb its transformative powers.
The play deals with the attempts of Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark to stage a production of George Farquhar’s The Recruiting Officer with a group of British convicts in Botany Bay in the 1780s. His plan leads to clashes with senior officers, and much debate about whether theatre can civilise and change the nature of society ensues.
The staging of Nadia Fall’s production is simple but effective, with the vast Olivier giving an impression of the endless wilderness (both literal and psychological).
While Jason Hughes seems too tough and self-assured for the prissy Ralph, there are standout performances from actresses playing female prisoners: Ashley McGuire, whose Dabby Bryant is an outward toughie yearning for a simpler life, and Jodie McNee as Liz Morden, whose transformation from feral punkishness to quiet dignity is beautifully done.
Alas, Cerys Matthews’s muchtrumpeted new score is a major misstep. Its peculiar mix of folk tunes and contemporary sounds threatens to completely undermine the play’s emotional power.
Until Oct 17. Tickets: 020 7452 3000; nationaltheatre.org.uk