Hansard

It's the summer of 1988. Tory politician Robin Hesketh returns to his idyllic home in the Cotswolds. It’s his birthday and, having successfully

passed Section 28; effectively banning the 'promotion' of homosexuality in schools, he is in a celebratory mood. However, his welcome is not as he'd hoped.

His wife, Diana has a stinking hangover, a fox is destroying the garden, and secrets are being dug up all over the place. As the day draws on, what starts with the familiar rhythms of marital sparring quickly turns to blood-sport. Hansard, a witty and savage portrait of the governing class and the society at the time. Funny, tender, and ultimately brutal.

Hansard is the first play written by British actor Simon Woods. The title of the play refers to the Hansard - the traditional name of the transcripts of Parliamentary debates in Britain and many Commonwealth countries. Director Rosina Piovani has mentioned: “putting this play on in 2024 has significant relevance, it being an electoral year, and with the current delicate political and social climate in Britain and in the world. The play explores Robin and Diana’s political differences all embedded within the perils of Robin and Diana as a couple. They have been together for decades and they have a rich history painted with moments of profound unhappiness. This degree of humanity and exploration of people’s relationships also captivated me and motivated me to direct the play. The play is a dialogue between Robin and Diana with no breaks where the actors are on stage 99.9% of the time. This presented a huge challenge as a director which I have been very lucky to embrace together with Michael Flintoff and Geraldine Hindley, two excellent actors who are putting Robin and Diana to life in a beautiful and vivid way.”

The first run of the play took place at the Corpus Playroom in Cambridge from Tuesday 2nd to Saturday 6th July 2024. The play had great audience attendance finishing on a sold-out night with people being turned away at the door. This prompted the team to scout for another venue to do a second Hansard run, which they are convinced there would be appetite for.