Whipping It Up

Whipping It Up by Steve Thompson, is a satirical farce set in the Whips' office at Westminster.  It is a week before Christmas and voting is about to take place on a Bill which is unpopular with the opposition, and various groups within the country.  The Government has only a majority of three, and the PM is delayed in America, playing golf with The President, so there are no holds barred to get everyone to vote with the Government, even if it goes against their personal views.  I have to admit that I felt quite uncomfortable watching it at times.  It was written 20 years ago, and I think people are more aware of what happens in Westminster, not all of which serves the country.  I got the impression from the audience response on the night I was there that people were not finding it funny, and were wondering if this is what actually still happens now; there were few laughs in the first Act.

Having said that it was a good production.  The action takes place in the same room so one set is required and the set was brilliant, it was well-constructed and dressed with great attention to detail.  The door SR led into the office of the Chief Whip and the door SL out into a corridor, and each time the door opened we could see people going about their business, putting notices on boards and moving between different parts of the building.  The room was full of Office furniture with two large desks, bookcases, book shelves, filing cabinets, various chairs including a large leather armchair, and the all-important safe.  There were large group photos on the walls and files and books, and various items of sports equipment.  It had the untidy air of a prefect’s common room at a boys school.  The set had been well lit, and the lighting was well cued and changed for the different times of day, with the desk lamps for evening.  The sound effects were well cued.  Everyone had been costumed appropriately to their characters, with everything fitting well.

The play had a strong cast and each actor had portrayed their character precisely and was totally believable, with the dynamics between the characters working well.  I found the dialogue in the first Act a bit quiet and it was sometimes difficult to hear, but it picked up in the second Act. 

Director Philip Douche, had directed his cast well, they knew exactly what was expected of their character, and how to use the stage.  There were some amusing moments particularly in the second Act, which the audience responded to.  He had been supported by a hard-working technical team, whose efforts complimented the action on stage.  This was a polished production.

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