The Permanent Way
by David Hare

Name: The Permanent Way
Brand: David Hare
SKU: 9780571220946
Rating: 3.57 (105 reviews)

The Permanent Way Book Cover — The Permanent Way Cover

Highlights

British

What readers are saying

Readers highly praise this play for its insightful depiction of the challenges faced by the British railway system. Many find it a compelling piece of verbatim theatre that effectively combines factual storytelling with emotional depth. The writing of David Hare is particularly appreciated for its engagement with the human condition and the political nuances of the subject matter.

Well written and engaging Insightful portrayal of railway issues Emotionally powerful storytelling Compelling verbatim theatre Pacing can feel uneven at times

Synopsis

A compelling work of documentary drama from Britain's "greatest living political playwright" (New Statesman).

In a last-ditch attempt to swing an election that they didn't expect to win, Britain's Conservative Party government made the fateful decision to privatize the country's railway system.

Twelve years later, the results of that choice are disturbingly clear: unpredictable schedules, hemorrhaging costs, and the fateful deaths of several passengers after a succession of disastrous crashes.

In this classic achievement of Brechtian, agit-prop theatrics, award-winning playwright David Hare gathers together the first-hand accounts of those most intimately involved--from every level of the system.

The result is a fascinating parable described by Guardian theater critic Michael Billington as a "dazzling oral mosaic" and a "vitally necessary piece of theatre" which poses a compelling metaphor for the state of the world at large.