"Whipping It Up" report by Anthony Adolph (OG ' 86)

In the past two years, however, Mr Witter has taken me to all sorts of plays that have left me culturally enriched, but also sometimes depressed and even bored. The succession of old misery-gutses parading their ghastly, unfulfilled, anxt-filled lives on various London stages is seemingly endless, and that's to say nothing of the Nazis and those dying of terminal diseases, both of whom we've had to put up with. Which is why, after a particularly depressing bout of Pinter earlier this year, I suggested we should go and see a comedy.

To my surprise Mr Witter agreed! So on the 23rd November 2006 a group of us squeezed into the Bush Theatre to enjoy Steve Thompsons' "Whipping It Up".

It's set in the Chief Whip's office at Westminster, in an imagined near future, when David Cameron's Conservatives have clawed their way back into power. It is about the dirty dealings of the whips - government and opposition - in the run-up to Christmas - the late Mr Macintosh, who taught many of us Politics during the Thatcher years, would have relished every moment of it!

The show's great delight was the casting of Richard Wilson, that old curmudgeon to end all curmudgeons, as the Chief Whip himself, barking out insults within yards of our delighted selves - enormously funny, and just a little frightening at such close quarters.

It was so enjoyable that Mr Witter himself was forced to conclude that funny plays could, in exceptional cases, be worthy of praise, qualifying his approbation hastily by snapping "but the greatest humour reveals the dark side of human nature!" whilst cutting the smoke-filled atmosphere of the theatre bar with that ever-knowing finger of his.

Those of you who missed this wonderful night out may begin kicking yourself now but can join us for the next play at the Gate Theatre - click here for more information and to book your tickets.

Best wishes

Anthony Adolph

The Development Office would like to thank Anthony for sparing the time to write up the Byzantian report as we know he is very busy with his new book called "Full of Soup and Gold: the Life of Henry Jermyn".

For more information please Click here