The Father and the Assassin London Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (20)
See it if you wanna see one of the best written and performed piece of theatre I've seen this year
Don't see it if not interested in a piece of a history no one knows about
See it if You like biographical theatre
Don't see it if You don't like wordy biopic plays
See it if Good staging and acting, and big set.
Don't see it if You don't like slow burners. I also found it followed a fairly predictable formula
See it if you want to learn something about the history that led to the partition of India and assassination of Ghandi
Don't see it if you struggle with plays that do not know if they are a tragedy or a comedy and seem to lack a 'so what' Read more
See it if You enjoy outstanding productions - great acting, set design, balanced historical perspective and dialogue. Must see, imo.
Don't see it if Serious and thought-provoking plays aren't what you enjoy.
See it if you are interested in the history of India or in political drama.
Don't see it if you don't want to see a play that centers someone who is famous only because he killed the greatest man of the 20th Century. Read more
See it if Want an immersive insight into a key cultural point in India and Pakistans history. Love a play where history mets light heartedness
Don't see it if Want something serious and deep dive. Looking for a bold and impactful play.
See it if you like biopics and want to know more about Gandhi
Don't see it if you are not a fan of slow-burning plays
Critic Reviews (14)
“Part meta-commentary, part historical epic, part character study, ’The Father and the Assassin’ should be seen as a definitive take on a moment in Indian and Pakistani politics that can still be felt today.”
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“Surprising in terms of its themes, there are some real laugh-out-loud lines of dialogue along with more powerful moments as the differing attitudes towards Partition are explored.”
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“Abeysekera’s command of the Olivier stage is effortless, bringing real intimacy to a sweeping production and a presence that is both tough and effeminate, a small man determined to make a big impact.”
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“Our populism-blighted present hovers over Chandrasekhar’s play as it presents us with the story of Godse, and of the painful birth of modern India.”
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"This is a history play, the modern resonances abound without ever being spelt out."
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The play is heavy on exposition but oddly short on dramatic substance. At the end, I felt I’d had a lot of history explained to me, rather than being immersed in it.
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It’s a tremendous piece of writing from Chandrasekhar and a titanic lead performance from Saraf. If the play has a potential flaw it’s that it could lose some steam in the history lesson-style bits.
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This is a fascinating, important evening, with valuably shaming moments of British imperial brutality ... Yet overall, it has the feel more of a useful dossier than an edge-of-your-seat drama
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