David Hare is the master of (British) state-of-he-nation plays, but here he turns his hand to early 20th Century American history and one of its lesser well known personalities, the man most responsible for the USA’s urban landscape, Robert Moses. Never heard of him? Me neither. That probably makes this all the more fascinating.
It’s a monumental task to put the biography of a man whose career spanned more than forty years on stage. Hare’s solution to this is clever, though perhaps limiting too. The first act covers the success which made him, creating state parks linked to urban centres by expressways, and the second the plan which led to his fall from grace, attempting to take an expressway through Washington Square, the heart of Manhattan.
During his early career he works for state Governor Al Smith, a Democrat who later became his party’s presidential candidate. Smith fully supports his schemes as he sees them as egalitarian, though with reservations about their lack of mass transit. Smith protects Moses from the opposition of rich and establishment figures, and he becomes renowned and revered for his urban revolution, despite the fact this was totally reliant on cars, effectively shutting out the working class who were dependent on trains, subways and buses, none of which had their place in Moses’ plans.
By the time Smith had gone, succeeded by Roosevelt, the political landscape had changed too, with the middle classes determined to protect areas like Greenwich Village and Soho, supported by Roosevelt’s wife no less. These plans were also somewhat underhand, using transport as a cover for development. Moses tried to convince them he was removing slums and bettering the lives of the poor, but his real motivation was more dubious. Ironically, he turned out to be far from the egalitarian Smith thought he was supporting, his plans ignoring or even running roughshod over the working class, seemingly racist given the composition of this group, but its also ironic that the failure of his plans led to the gentrification of these areas as home to the rich and famous to this day.
He was clearly a larger than life character who gets a larger than life characterisation by Ralph Fiennes, on stage virtually throughout, commanding all around him. Danny Webb’s Al Smith is more than a match with a terrific performance, albeit only in the first half. Moses’ loyal, long suffering staff are represented by Samuel Barnett’s Ariel Porter and Siobhan Cullen as Finnuala Connell, both of whom are excellent. The rest of the roles are somewhat underwritten.
Bob Crowley designs two workmanlike sets, full of architectural detail, that create the two period offices in which most of the scenes are played out, and director Nicholas Hytner gives the show great pace. It’s not vintage Hare, but it’s an insightful piece that entertains and educates. Well worth a visit.
Gareth's Culture and Travel Blog 