'The Last of the Haussmans' at The National Theatre

This week I went to see 'The Last of the Haussmans' in the Lyttelton in the National Theatre. It is an excellent play, an excellent production and with some excellent performances. Yes, I liked it! I even bought the programme.

When I first saw it advertised I liked the premise of an ageing hippy in the last of her days bringing her family around her one last time. I liked it even more since it starred Julie Walters who I'd never seen on stage before. Rory Kinnear played her son (Nick) and Helen McRory her daughter (Libby) with their complex web of memories,  relationships, needs and wants over the last 40 years. Nothing is satisfactory, nothing is straight forward and nothing is quite as it seems but it seemed real to me and I could recognise and remember some of the scenes and recollections.

There were some really delightful one-liners and the play was full of them. Nick talks about booze and drugs and says he can't blame anyone for him being a junkie, "well, except for David Bowie". When Summer, Libby's teenage daughter, comments that she  can't remember some things, Nick quips "you'd be surprised at what I can remember" referring back to his debauchery. And a great moment in the second half when 'Cum On Feel The Noize' has been played loud in the small hours and Libby says "it's too late at night to play SLADE" to which I (inwardly) replied that it is never too late to play SLADE.

I was particularly impressed by the three lead characters. Julie Walters was Julie Walters and Helen McRory was an excellent glue keeping the family together despite pain and distrust, but it was Rory Kinnear that I was particularly impressed by. I've seen him in various plays in the past (usually at the National and all serious) but not in a comic role and he was excellent. I'm not sure why he plays being gay as meaning he stands on one foot but he takes after his dad with the comic timing and the twists and turns of delivering a perfect comic line. He should do more comedy now that he has the classic dramatic roles under his belt. I would be quite happy to sit down with his character, Nick, for a chat over a beer or two and listen to his anecdotes.

The set is the house the family grew up in and it gradually spins round to show different rooms with the characters usually playing at the front of the stage. I thought it could've looked  bit more 'hippy' but it looked like a real house to me (and quite a nice one too, with a lick of paint).

I thoroughly enjoyed the play. I had a smile going on for most of the play and laughed out loud loads of times. Go and see it if you can, I don't think you'll be disappointed.