Old Spies: A Cold Supper Behind Harrods

Felt a little cheated because it was a livesteamed read through so you get stumbles, forgetting places, flaws and all. However, when is a spy not a spy and is the meeting of old comrades all that it seems?

Old Special Operations Executives gather for a filmed interview, and as each disappears, we get their back stories and see the deeper relationships between them. Or do we? The scenes are literally haunted by Patricia, a murdered colleague and operative, and what really happened to her? Is lovable, cheeky John, (the ever twinkling Sir David Jason), really as transparent and wronged as he appears? How much can we trust logical Vera and what does it all mean when she suddenly goes off to make a phone call?

I found the scripts in hand a bit of a barrier, but they did try to avoid just reading from them, and I’ve just learnt in the Q&A that they rehearsed on Wednesday, so will let them off. Plus props!!!! and tea/drink drinking!

Didn’t see the ending coming and am still haunted by Sir David Jason’s face…. Did very much enjoy the inclusion of Patricia’s ghost to give emotion to her oft mentioned but ‘unseen’ character and her betrayal and mystery. Left thinking whose justice and what justice? Two of the characters are based on real characters in a real situations….

It makes me think of this story I was told the other day, where injustice seems to have been denied justice, yet for those who are aware of it and were around it at the time the injustice is still red raw. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/martyred-village

Twinkling!

At the same time, a new play and the Director not Larkin’ about…(although he is next to another National Treasurer, Anton Lesser).