First produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, it tells the story of a self-made high flyer about to land the Tory Party account. To win it he hires a once successful left-wing film director, now out of favour and out of work. No trick is too manipulative for this scurrilous world and Lucie's wickedly enjoyable play is both chilling and accurate in charting the dark days of "yuppie culture".
Alice, Nita, Phil and Beth are the "Red Devils" whose personal stories are revealed through their love affairs, employment crises and domestic dramas. For one, a disastrous marriage has robbed her of her hopes; for another, hairdressing promises success. Desperately trying to hold onto her teens, football and punk culture are the key for a third and for the fourth the alien world of university is creating a gulf between her and her mates.
"A robust mixture of rough,
go-getting romanticism and sardonic, whiplash Northern humour: Horsfield's
view of the world is unsentimental and streetwise." The Observer
.
This is one of the best achievements of the writer well known for Educating Rita. His ear for the edgy, bleakly funny dialogue of his native Merseyside is unerring. He unfolds a lively, coarse and ultimately accurate picture of folk whose lives are losing their meaning.
Set in the respective Gents
and Ladies loos the action moves rapidly between the two groups, desperate
to celebrate but confronting the loss of hope at every moment. Yet the
Liverpudlian ability to survive through humour ultimately triumphs.
.