THE attacks on Howard Brenton's The Romans in Britain by the likes of Horace Cutler, Mary Whiteand Houser Street critics have given the production at the National Theatre a revolutionary aura which it unfortunately does not deserve.
Ine have helped to raise over subsidies for 'radical' art is an importis a shame that a play as politically and dramatically Brenhave Colitial DOSITON SThe Romans in Britain has been attacked for its use scene language violence depicts; also. 1088 wth the British ne n It is always refreshing to see this question rais ON I any public plat form, but Brenton's play offers only the sounus notoucal audlyimperial the C Lool. homans TITSL JACUTSIOT into Caesar; the Saxon raids following, the of Roman the north of ireland by British troops today.
In each case, Brenton argues, been same But bogus racial impuication:
this idea are never challenged in the play. Disease The play portrays imperialism as a disease.
affects historical opochs the same manner. alla car sequences TOT brutality; betrayal, and This. ide: is dubious enough but Brenton's treatment of it leads one to believe that cuse ro voke tooomner & and survival.
ated with anything near the rigour demanded.
end play becomes incoherent ana parallels wulen tar challenging mom bers of the audience examine their own role ir history. allows them sit as passive spectators •renton s play been attacked as a work proof that art and politics parucular ly, according to GLC boss This argo sense, as a look at any of or noman plays reveals. The left has to continue to resist it But Romans Britain TOVIOS grouna TOr TheT ance only in that its arfailure and political incoherence Part same.