Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Laurence Fox loses it with heckler at Finsbury Park's Park Theatre 'The Patriotic Traitor'
Who goes to a play to get cross with General de Gaulle? How do you heckle a play about the relationship between Pétain and de Gaulle? I thoroughly enjoyed this production although I thought it let Pétain off the hook over his treatment of Jews and political refugees in Vichy France* but I didn't really feel the need to heckle Tom Conti over it!
Hear Laurence Fox apologise on Radio4 - is he right to say sorry? Easy to be wise after the event about what he should have done, but it's a small theatre and a very intense play. Personally I'm not surprised he employed the popular French insult to express his frustration (probably in character too?).
The Patriotic Traitor at the Park Theatre
* In October Jews were banned from the civil service and from teaching and Jewish entry to the media and the professions was limited. Vichy France was a fascist state and in 1942 the German ambassador minuted that the Vichy authorities ‘would be happy to get rid of the Jews in any way whatsoever, without too much fuss.’ History Today
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gordon T on
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Laurence Fox's apology and explanation sounded truthful to me.
One good thing is that more people will now be aware of the Park Theatre.
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Permalink Reply by Chrisandsally on
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That's exactly what I thought! Great PR for the wonderful Park Theatre!!
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Permalink Reply by Maddy on
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Someone should have alerted theatre staff to remove the heckler sooner. I think Mr Fox was quite within his rights to tell him off for ruining it for everybody.
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Permalink Reply by Neil on
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Thanks for posting this. My friends saw the play and have been discussing it since. You are right that the play went easy on Petain and had a happy ending for him. The heckler may have had a case although his behaviour was wrong.
The acting by Fox and Conti was outstanding. We are so lucky to have the chance to see brilliant acting in the locality. My mum in Bognor Regis has no such opportunity.
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