Oxford Playhouse is delighted to present Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky’s acclaimed political drama The Gang of Three. It will play at the Beaumont Street theatre from Tuesday 27 to Saturday 31 October.
Following a critically acclaimed, sold-out run at the King’s Head Theatre, this is a chance to revisit a defining moment in the battle of the Labour Party, which still feels highly relevant to today’s Britain. Deep in the corridors of power, amidst economic crisis and political upheaval, Roy Jenkins, Denis Healey and Tony Crosland fight for the future of the party — and for their own place in history.
The three figures are brought to life by the original cast members Alan Cox (Crosland), Hywel Morgan (Jenkins) and Colin Tierney (Healey).
Directed by Kirsty Patrick Ward, Set & Costume Design is by Libby Watson, Lighting Design by Jamie Platt, Sound Design by Dominic Brennan and General Management provided by James Quaife for Luminous Entertainment Group. Writers Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky said:
We wrote this play about the 1970s and 1980s. By the time we finished it, we realised we’d written it about now. A Labour government, economic shocks, falling poll ratings and a Cabinet full of ambitious people who can’t agree on anything, with old friends suddenly becoming bitter rivals. Roy Jenkins, Denis Healey and Tony Crosland would feel completely at home. ‘But while the politics may feel familiar, the play is really about something timeless: ambition, rivalry, friendship and power. We’re thrilled that audiences across the UK will now get the chance to see it.’
Oxford audiences can experience this funny, fierce and razor-sharp play in the city which forms a crucial part of the story. Roy Jenkins, Denis Healey and Tony Crosland were all contemporaries at Oxford University, where friendships, rivalries and ambitions first took shape long before they became three of the most influential figures in post-war Labour politics.
Set behind the closed doors of Westminster power, The Gang of Three is a thrilling portrait of ambition, ideology and betrayal at the highest level of British politics. Perfect for political obsessives and theatre lovers alike, The Gang of Three is an electrifying evening of wit, rivalry and high-stakes drama.
To book tickets, visit oxfordplayhouse.com or contact the Box Office on 01865 305305.
Production photographs (c) Manuel Harlan
