The word ‘Nation’ conjures up a sea of associations; not all of them positive. Nationalism was –
if not the cause – then certainly the catalyst for the conflicts of the 20th centry and western
style ‘nation building’ in Iraq and Afghanistan has, thus far, spectacularly failed to bear
fruit. On the other hand, the United Nations is a beacon of hope to many and the annual Six
Nations ruby tournament is undertaken in a spirit of good humour notable only by its absence in
similar sporting events.
Shakespeare’s Captain MacMorris vigorously refutes the idea that he belongs to a nation:
“Of my nation! What ish my nation? Ish a villain, and a bastard, and a knave, and a rascal. What
ish my nation? Who talks of my nation?” Henry V.
I am not immune to feeling a stir of something close to jingoism at the chorus of Rule Britannia
or Jerusalem or even Three Lions but I refute utterly the notion that I belong to a ‘nation
gripped by Strictly / I’m A Celebrity / X Factor fever’. I would seriously consider emigration
to a land free from such aberrations – provided of course that Radio 4 and mature cheddar cheese
were readily available in this hypothetical distant paradise…
Terry Pratchett’s Nation, adapted for the Olivier stage at the National Theatre by Mark
Ravenhill, is set squarely at the apex of the age of the nation state: the late 19th century.
The novel and play tell the story of Mau, a very young man, who becomes chief of his archipelago
when a combination of circumstances – including a tsunami – wipes out everyone else on his
island. Mau is helped and hindered by Daphne, a quintessentially English girl who invites him to
tea at three, and the other survivors of a British ship wrecked on his beach by the tidal wave.
I have not read the book (seeing the play makes you want to) so I do not know which of Pratchett
and Ravenhill should be most praised for an engaging, moving and hugely enjoyable show with
cross generational appeal. All the best elements of the beloved ‘desert island’ stories from
childhood are incorporated in a production that is greater than the sum of its parts: at once a
critique of imperialism, an exploration of creation myths, a coming of age drama and a simple
adventure story.
Puppetry, projection and modern staging techniques are all used to great effect on the huge
Olivier stage: the sequences in which Mau and Daphne journey through the underworld vie with
Mau’s pursuit by sharks as the visual highpoint of the 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Nation is family drama of the best kind as supposed to the synthetic, contrived hypocrisy of
Saturday night ‘reality’ TV. Go and see it and if you really cannot help trying to work out
which of the vast cast is ‘the best’ then my vote goes to Jason Thorpe who almost steals the
show as Milton, the ship’s talking deadpan parrot.
