A thought-provoking story where personal lives and politics are inextricable intertwined
Angels in America: Millenium Approaches, by Tony Kushner, is a two-part play brought about by the Happier Year Productions in the Oxford Playhouse. This play follows the stories of two young couples in an increasingly intolerant America. Prior Walter and Louis Ironson are a gay couple whose lives unravel when Prior is revealed to have contracted AIDs. Joe Pitt comes home to and unhappy life and his Mormon housewife Harper Pitt who happens to be a valium addict. As the desire to disconnect from reality sets in, Louis and Joe cross paths and become entangled in an affair. The audience follows each individual as they attempt to navigate through the turmoil of their own thoughts, where secrets are exposed and lives are turned upside down.
Set in the mid-1980s, the setting is centred around the AIDs crisis and the subtle encroaching of a new millennium. Various concepts, including love, freedom, religion, and politics, are weaved within the story to culminate in a world that seems so devoid of life and hope. Each individual character has a separate complex backstory but tackles the same concept of loneliness through different coping mechanisms. The first half of the play shines a special light on the perspective of AIDs patients, allowing the audience to fully grasp the physical and emotional toll this disease takes on not only them but the people around them as well. The second half of the play, rather, becomes slightly convoluted due to the introduction of more ethereal and scriptural concepts, and left me with many questions. It is worth noting that this is a seven-hour production that has been split into two parts, and hence I would highly recommend a brief summary read prior to the theatrical viewing to have a more holistic understanding of the concepts that the play addresses.
Towering “buildings” were scattered throughout the stage emulate the streets of New York city, where dull and bright lighting was used interchangeably to differentiate between the gloomy streets and the thoughts of the characters. Props were brought out by the actors as they appeared, establishing an efficient way of changing the setting of the act. The overall set was simplistic, and yet was able to provide a clear perspective of the character locations, effectively granting a clear understanding of where they are. I was intrigued by the constant overlapping of scenes, whereby one scene would end and the other would begin. This approach allows for a seamless continuation of the story – there is a flow that never breaks, and is further enhanced by the chemistry of the actors themselves.
The ensemble of actors delivered absolutely gripping performances, allowing the audience to truly sympathise with each individual’s plight. I was particularly in awe of the performance of Daniel McNamee as he manages to fully portray the downward spiral of Louis so captivatingly, and my heart was torn apart as he wails in agony of the circumstances he has been unwillingly placed in. The tension was truly palpable in each scene presented, hitting the audience constantly with their words and emotion. The overall play was amazing albeit certain small technical issues, and the message of the story is conveyed intensely well.