Pressure - tense forecasts from David Haig

With all the media attention surrounding the D-Day landings it is refreshing to find a new angle to convey the incredible impact of the decision to invade on any particular day. In his new play, Pressure, David Haig drives home the importance of the weather on that decision and the conflict between two weathermen whose differing forecasts could affect the outcome of the Second World War.

The action is takes place at Southwick House, Portsmouth and a convincing set complete with billowing curtains and the cracking sounds of storms overhead places us firmly in the nerve-wracking few days before June 6, 1944 when General Dwight Eisenhower (Malcolm Sinclair) has to decide when to give the order for the Allied Invasion of France, which later became named D-Day. The original date was set for June 5, with ideal conditions and the promise of a full moon, but predicted storms deemed the operation too precarious and so a decision to delay was proposed.

David Haig stars as Scotsman Group Captain Dr James Stagg, head of a team of meteorologists in charge of predicting the weather over the English Channel. Tim Beckman plays his jaunty opposition, the American Colonel  ‘Krick’ - two men from different nations with very different views on weather patterns.

Stagg is obsessed with the weather and Haig beautifully conveys his compulsive, almost neurotic, continual checking and re-checking of wind, rain and isotherms. He displays huge maps on the wall, moving pressure bars up and down and observing with near hysteria the building storm. Obsessed in the first act with the weather, and oblivious to those around him, we see his more emotional side as the play develops and we learn that his wife is in hospital, about to deliver their second child. David Haig has a wonderfully expressive face, his portrayal of George lll in ‘The Madness of...’ will stay with me forever, and once again he conveys brilliantly the agony of a man trying to do the right thing, but fearful of the consequences. (NB - seating tip - avoid the right hand side of the auditorium facing stage or you will mostly see the back of his head!)

Malcolm Sinclair is staggeringly like Eisenhower and plays the role with a great mix of power and compassion. His angst at sending thousands of young men to their possible death is apparent, and although he relies on the advice of Stagg and Krick, the final decision lies heavily with him. He has a love interest to ease his pressure, the lovely Lieutenant Kay Summersby, played with energy and sharp wit by Laura Rogers. The only female in the cast, she brings humanity and emotion to the proceedings.

There is an incredible amount of weather terminology in this play, and it sets the scene well for the impending storm and the pressure building both in and out of Southwick House. However, by the middle of the second act I felt I could probably pass a GCSE in wind speed - fantastic research but possibly too much detail.

But I don’t want to give any impression of a gloomy forecast. This is a pacey, exciting and inspired play with a great cast and lively direction by John Dove. It brings to life a relatively untouched aspect of D-Day, and evokes strong images of the practical challenges that had to be overcome to bring an end to the Second World War. 

Pressure runs at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester until June 28th 2014

Tickets via www.cft.org.uk  or call 01243 781312

RA Summer Exhibition - gripped by colour

The Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition continues to be an annual magnet for aspiring artists, despite the slim chances of acceptance. This year the RA received 12,000 entries, from which 1,200 artworks have been chosen for display. For the first time ever, artists submitted their woks digitally for the first round of judging, but how on earth do you you judge a piece of artwork (apart from possibly photography) on a screen? Looking today at the thumbnail images of some of my favourite works viewed at the press day, I realise how flat they are compared to the magnificence of the real thing. Clearly the job of the panel gets more difficult every year, and I was fascinated to learn how the selection and hanging of works takes place.

Hughie O'Donoghue, co-ordinator of the Royal Academy Exhibition, or 'Chief Hanger' as he calls himself, led us round the gallery and explained that the 'hanging committee' changes each year in order to bring a fresh approach. This year's crew have really cracked it. i was struck by the enormous diversity of work, the vibrancy of certain rooms and the contrasting calm of others. The whole exhibition feels easier to view, which is very welcome as even the keenest art buff needs time and energy to cover the whole show.

 "We have purposely kept some of the rooms more sparsely hung, others, such as the Small Weston Room are densely displayed," says Hughie. "This seems to work better from a viewing perspective. It gives us a chance to take a breath, observe, then move on."

Hughie was responsible for hanging the first room (Room lll) and revealed his first 'hang' - a huge painting by Anselm Keifer called Kranke Kunst. "From that the rest of the room fell into place," he says. "In this room I wanted to focus on painting in its most elemental forms, that is, colour, form, material and paint." The result is a truly fantastic and vibrant room - the best introduction to the Summer Exhibition I have seen for years. This is a show that sets your soul alight with the excitement of art, colour and the many directions it takes.

From Room lll, other rooms also take on a character of their own. The Large Weston Room is proud and almost showy with its great figurative works, and the Small Weston Room where works by amateurs and professionals hang side by side, is modest and dark. In here a lovely oil and acrylic by Simon Philpott sells for £450 while a blue & white acrylic by Tracey Emin sells for £66,000. A fascinating room that makes you pause and wonder - how on earth do we price a piece of art? This tiny room, with over 200 paintings and full of surprises, is perhaps my favourite. I imagine the incredible excitement of an unknown artist such as Surrey's Madeleine Pitt (Blood on the Wire, £200) who finds her painting hung just above a work by the esteemed Ken Howard (Double Self-portrait). Also in here we see 2 wonderfully simple watercolours by Una Stubbs called 'Benedict' and 'Martin' (you'll recognise them immediately).

Other rooms include architecture, made more interesting this year by the addition of working drawings and ideas. Also Room 7, devoted to new Royal Academicians - these are practicing professional artists in the UK, recognised by the RA as important artists who help steer the RA vision and support their activities. Hughie explained, 'This is a hard room to hang, with its many different styles and medium, but the work is very special, such as work by Anthony Eyton, an inspiration to us all as he is still painting in his 90s". I stand in awe in this room, mesmerised as always at work by Ken Howard, Bernard Dunstan and Frederick Cuming - his tiny oil, 'Snowscape', is perhaps my favourite in the exhibition, so beautiful that I don't want to leave it.

Other highlights include a room curated by sculptor Cornelia Parker RA. With a momochrome focus, Cornelia invited high profile artists such as Martin Creed and Richard Deacon to contribute work specifically for this room. This is a striking contrast to the riot of colour prevalent elsewhere and somehow ends the exhibition on a very calm note. But the vibrancy and joy of a heady mix of styles, colour, order and dis-order stays with me and, as I leave the RA and brace another shower of rain, a quote from Hughie stays with me:

"We are trying to be a broad church, to look at all types of art - conservative and eccentric. We aim for a wild garden where works compete for attention, so that it's up to the viewer, not the artist, to do the work."

And this they have achieved. A wonderful summer exhibition - a highlight already of the summer calendar - not to be missed.

The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition runs until August 17, 2014. Tickets from RA - www.royalacademy.org.uk

The Summer Exhibition has been held every year without interruption since 1769.