Tom Stoppard‘s 1997 about the life of ‘poet and scholar’ AE Housman, The Invention of Love, rounds off the year in Hampstead Theatre’s main house.
It’s an uneven play in some respects, as an elderly Housman (Simon Russell Beale) meets the boatman who will take him into eternity. There, he finds visions of the past and reflects on the life he might have had.
Set mainly in the 1880s, Stoppard’s play is heavily focused on the young Housman (Matthew Tennyson) and his unspoken passion for fellow student, Jackson (Ben Lloyd-Hughes, who gets to run in Chariots of Fire style).
Outside this, two groups of caricatured older men, first academics, then politicians and press (Jonnie Broadbent, Stephen Boxer, Dominic Rowan, Peter Landi), discuss the meaning of Greek and Roman texts (playing croquet), then attempt to regulate immorality (playing snooker).
The design of Blanche McIntyre‘s production is very striking, with a two level set (Morgan Large, designer) and an open space flanked by audience on three sides, suggesting the waters of the Styx and the river of Oxford.
As the students meet, they connect wheeled props into rowing boat, chatting about their contrasting interests in science and literature. There is a sense of competition and camaraderie, as well as a sheen of pretension.
There’s a lot going on in this near three hour play. Housman’s sister Katharine (Florence Dobson) offers a sense of where he has spring from. Work chum Chamberlain (a confident and fey Michael Marcus) offers a glimpse into the gay underground.
Even Oscar Wilde (a deeply touching Dickie Beau) gets a look in; Housman’s contemporary at Oxford, where they never met. A scene set in their afterlife underlines their difference, as Wilde lived to the full, and Housman “stayed at home”.
You may well need some knowledge of the poetics and attitudes of the time to fully appreciate The Invention of Love. The programme notes do help identify the supporting characters and give context to the discourse of the ‘ivory towers’, but some may feel at sea.
The cast is rounded off by Seamus Dillane (fellow student, Pollard) and Alan Williams (Charon, the boatman). Both offer a light touch to offset the wordy drama; the reflection of “life is short” and when we are gone, it is too late for regrets.
Lit beautifully by Peter Mumford, The Invention of Love remains a profound and thoughtful exploration of one man’s life. Fabricated to some degree, yes, but fascinating, nonetheless, and beautifully played by Beale and Beau in particular.
****
The Invention of Love is at Hampstead Theatre until 1 Feb 2025 with tickets here.
Photo credit: Helen Murray