It has been a long time since I went to the theatre and did not feel at all inspired to write down my thoughts afterwards. Frankly, I had very few thoughts on the way home, and even fewer when I got there. I am not exactly sure why this was the case, but the play left me distinctly nonplussed.

I imagine the fact that I had never even heard of Oscar Levant was a contributing factor. Something in the way the play was written assumed that the audience would have detailed knowledge of this person, who played Gershwin’s music, had supporting roles in a couple of films from the 1950s and was apparently quite witty and brimming with anecdotes. Maybe for this reason, this did not seem the best choice of story for the exploration of the birth of a TV celebrity. Similarly, due to a distinct lack of depth, the themes of mental health did not land well either. This was underscored by the exhibits of OCD eliciting laughter not empathy from the audience.

But overall, it was an enjoyable evening. I liked the very fluid scene transitions. The acting was good, even if I felt that Hayes’ performance was a little over the top. And there were plenty of very funny quips. It was in fact the interview scene, and not the live piano climate at the Steinway, that was my favourite moment. It was hard not to reflect that we seem to have gone full circle. In the 1950s you could become persona non-grata for talking about politics, religion or sex on television. Today’s cancel culture is not that dissimilar.

(Small tip – do study up before going to see this play – this article might be a good starting point: https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/learn-about-oscar-levant-ahead-of-good-night-oscar-at-the-barbican)