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ed_moore's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
‘Far Away’ was “far” better than the other play of Churchill’s I read: ‘This is a Chair’. It had consistent characters and a more cohesive plot, though I felt was still too short to explore the themes raised. Churchill creates a liminal space on the stage where human morality is questioned, playing down murder and mourning the destruction of hats rather than prisoners who are executed. The inclusion of the scene discussing xenophobia was clever, where the characters discuss people of all walks and life and even animals, the concern being whose side the Thai butchers or crocodiles are on. Ultimately anything or anyone other is seen as only other, the few bad eggs categorising a whole ethnic group of people or species, and also lumping anything other as the same. The play was however so short that these concepts were only raised and quickly abandoned, and I feel so much more could have been done with the ideas. Once again, the lack of depth in Churchill’s plays let them down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Xenophobia, and Kidnapping
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