Mr Burns, Almeida Theatre, by Anne Washburn

Which aspects of the early twenty-first century will endure and become our cultural legacy? Will it be the highbrow ‘masterpieces’ lauded by critics, or the base ‘pop culture’ derided by many? Anne Washburn explores these themes in her eccentric post-electric play Mr Burns, which (appropriately enough) is currently acutely dividing public opinion in North London.

The premise is beautifully simple, although it might not always be easy to see that. North America has suffered a catastrophic nuclear disaster, leaving large swathes of the country uninhabitable and millions dead. Crowded around a fire, a small troupe of survivors attempts to remember the plot of Simpsons episode ‘Cape Feare’ (the one where Sideshow Bob attempts to murder Bart abroad a boat) before an uninvited intruder interrupts them.

Fans of Cormac McCarthy might recognize this type of interaction from The Road, another story set in a post-apocalyptic primeval environment. The darkness, fear, and tension are intoxicating. Unfortunately, the action in the subsequent darts forward in ever more bizarre directions.

The second act is set 7 years later. Now, the troupe is busy rehearsing the same episode of The Simpsons for performance. They are part of a huge industry that is making a living by performing early 2000s and late-nineties television classics.

Resplendent in homemade costumes, the troupe runs through various scenes from the episode. If you know the episode or the various references, it is a hilarious trip through pop culture. If you don’t, it is probably an annoying reminder of your age. The same goes for a fantastic medley the group performs of current pop hits. It is fantastic and grating to the audience in equal measure.

Intellectually, the third act is a masterstroke. A further 75 years in the future, the cross-cultural references have become merged in a homogenous performance that is like an Elizabethan morality drama set in the future. It’s, without a doubt, the most mind-boggling forty minutes I’ve ever seen in the theatre. While it does intelligently question various elements of our cultural legacy (imagine an Elizabethan watching Ten Things I Hate About You) and the way culture is appropriated into future generations, it’s not exactly comfortable or pleasant to watch.

 

This is undoubtedly a controversial and divisive piece of theatre. Some (probably younger) will revel in its charm and probing critique of culture, others (who are most likely unaware of the material being referenced) will be repelled by its chaos and silliness. That divide is what makes great theatre, even if it doesn’t make an actor’s life easy.

I overheard a man asking an usher during one of the play’s two intervals: ‘is there more of this Simpsons stuff in the third act?’ From the usher’s response, it was clear that this wasn’t the first time he had been asked that. If you book a play called Mr. Burns, with a picture of Bart Simpson in the ubiquitous advertising, you should know what to expect unless you have spent the last twenty years completely separated from western culture in Iran or North Korea. If you asked a similar question about Shakespeare or Elizabethan language during a performance of Hamlet you would be met with incredulous looks and mild derision. The apathy and barely concealed hostility from certain quarters of the Almeida’s ‘esteemed’ regulars threatens to overshadow the entire performance.

 

This is not a perfect, or entirely enjoyable play, but it is an incredibly important piece of work that raises pertinent questions about culture and art. It’s a pity that some have been unable to see beyond the references they don’t understand. It is even more of a pity that these prejudices have come to define the show. Imagine if disgruntled teenagers were allowed to dictate how we felt about Shakespeare.

 This play raises a lot of questions but provides very few answers. That’s entertainment.