'Hapgood' Hampstead Theatre ****

Espionage and the microcosm of spying is brimming full of traitors and double agents where deception is a big factor to that occupation where anyone is a pawn in their own game and with the woman progressing into the managerial roles, can a woman really succeed in a male dominated industry? The Hampstead Theatre’s current production of Tom Stoppard’s 1988 play, ‘Hapgood’ was a refreshing and thought-provoking performance about the spy environment where characters such as Judi Dench’s M in the James Bond franchise were not even considered, additionally, the executions were splendidly characterised.

‘Hapgood’ is set in 1988 where the Cold War is nearing its final curtain and we are habituated with British female spymaster, Elisabeth Hapgood where she is finding juggling her career with her role as a mother to a young boy. The play commences with a spoof imitation of a spy scenario as a conveyer belt of dubious people enter a male changing room at a swimming pool in which they swap attaché cases . Conspiracy theories are a foot when vital information has been sent to the Russians and defector; Joseph Kerner and Ridley (Gerald Kyd) are the prime suspects. Hapgood tries her level best to get Kerner removed as a suspect and when, Blair a high-ranking British intelligence meets Hapgood at St. Christopher’s School where she is watching her son, Joe (Sacha Gray/Adam Cansfield) playing rugby, yet, he still suspects Kerner is partly responsible.  He soon informs her that Ridley has been working for the KGB as a double-agent. Suspicion arrives when Wates (Gary Beadle) as he soon suspects that both Ridley and Hapgood as a transmitter found in one of the brief cases suddenly switches itself on in Hapgood’s office; as such he has Hapgood followed.  In addition to this, Hapgood and her fellow colleagues, Merryweather (Edward Hancock) and Maggs (Nick Blakeley) decide to set a trap for Ridley where she meets him at a shooting range. Moreover, Blair remains wary that the briefcase that Kerner was holding had a photo of Joe cleverly placed inside of it.  There is a reason for this as we are informed that Joe is in fact his son.  Joe is kidnapped because of Kerner’s defection and Hapgood’s somewhat meddling and a disk is precisely what the KGB want and when Ridley meets Hapgood’s twin sister, Mrs Newton at her photographic studio he states that she needs to become involved as her nephew is missing and when she knows of this information she says she’ll do her duty to help search for the disk. Over the course of the performance, we learn that equivocation is at the forefront of this industry as Mrs Newton is not real and is actually Hapgood herself and that Blair is behind Joe’s kidnapping so that it doesn’t land into the KGB’s hands.  At the finale with Ridley’s plan in tatters and in police custody, Hapgood and Kerner meet for one last time at their son’s rugby match and he says that he is going to be returning to Russia as his career in spying is over and it appears that the KBG already knew about him being Joe’s father. Stoppard’s narrative is inquisitive as you are constantly wondering what the disk actually contains and his decision to have a female head of secret service conveyed the importance of the progression of women moving into managerial positions.

One found the performances by the company of, ‘Hapgood’ to be wonderfully portrayed; for example how the other characters communicate with one another and the smaller roles such as The Russian (Joe Evans) helped this. Lisa Dillon is admirable as central protagonist, Elisabeth Hapgood; chiefly where her jobs as the head of the secret services and a mother really shows how her personal life is non-existent, nonetheless , the scenes with her son Joe and ex-lover, Kerner captures a different side of her.  Alec Newman is first-class as Russian defector, Joseph Kerner; expressly the moment when he comes into contact with his son for the first time and the slight upset you can see on his face as he realises that he has missed his opportunity of being a father which means he has no other purpose.  Tim McMullen is remarkable as high-ranking intelligence officer, Blair; first and foremost, how his frequent suspicion of Hapgood’s involvement with Kerner encapsulates that no one in the same workplace can physically have a private life and his involvement with Joe’s hostage is mean and cruel.

Howard Davies’ direction is exceptional here as he has been able to formulate a really captivating show about an organisation like the MI5 and MI6 and what cases that could be going on, furthermore, the interpretations from the entire company were well explained and with superb and amazing voice work and movement sequences.  Ashley Martin Davis’ set and costumes were fitting to the environment that the play is set around and with Ian William Galloway’s video designs and installation of 100 screens compresses the poignancy of technology in espionage and what is required to investigate villainous individuals. Overall, the experience of, ‘Hapgood’ was a bit like a theatrical interpretation of a James Bond story and as one likes James Bond films then this is probably why I liked the show.