On the London stage, 'The Lehman Trilogy' and 'Allelujah!' chronicle worlds warped by money
LONDON - Beyond being two of the most anticipated new dramas in London this summer, Ben Power's English adaptation of Italian playwright Stefano Massini's "The Lehman Trilogy" at the National Theatre and Alan Bennett's "Allelujah!" at the Bridge Theatre wouldn't seem to have much in common. Stylistically, they're as different as chalk and cheese.
But both plays track the way money can insidiously corrupt the soul of a nation. Irony may have worn down our capacity for high tragedy, but capitalism run amok is a recipe for good old-fashioned catastrophe. These tales about a storied New York financial services firm grown too big and byzantine for its own good and a cradle-to-grave community hospital in Yorkshire endangered by privatization reveal the chaos that occurs when values are dictated by balance sheets.
Directed by two of the leading British directors, Sam Mendes' production of "The Lehman Trilogy" and Nicholas Hytner's production of "Allelujah!" share another trait: Neither follows the standard conventions of
