James Graham: Writing Politics for the Stage

The acclaimed playwright James Graham and I are in conversation discussing Writing Politics for the Stage at the Bloomsbury Institute on 31 October at 6.00pm. The conversation begins at 6.30 and will last 90 minutes, including plenty of time for audience questions and contributions.

Tickets and further information here:

• https://www.eventbrite.co.uk

James has established himself as a leading playwright whose focus is almost exclusively postwar British politics. His hit This House that opened at the Cottesloe and transferred to the West End was a dramatisation of the Lib-Lab coalition of the late 1970s. Despite what may have seemed like unpromising subject matter, it was funny, gripping, and beautifully observed in its presentation of political behaviour. Since then he's written about the Angry Brigade of the early seventies, the history of the Monster Raving Loony Party, scripted a brilliant dramatisation of the 2010 negotiations that led to the Tory-Lib Dem coalition, offered an election-night drama for the Donmar, also televised, in The Vote, and most recently has written Ink, the story of Murdoch's takeover of The Sun in the late 1960s and, just about to open next door to it on St Martin's Lane, Labour of Love, a comedy about the last two decades of Labour Party history. And if that's not enough his play Quiz, inspired by the 'coughing Major' scandal at Who Wants to be a Millionaire, is about to open at Chichester. It'll be a delight to discuss politics, playwriting and whether the two can mix with James. Do come along.