Gethsemane is a play written by David Hare which was staged at the National Theatre in December 2009 and subsequently went on tour to select cities in Britain.
The play dealt with a whole range of issues :
- politicians mixed up with big business
- politician with a troubled teenage daughter
- various characters having their moments of doubt about life, the universe and everything else (hence the title of the play, Gethsemane)
As soon as Nicola completed the tour of this play in March 2009, she reported to the Spooks [TV] set to film her return to this show for Series 8.
NT Trailer
The National Theatre posted a trailer for this play when it was staged in London in December 2009 and this is available on YouTube.
Please do not be misled by the soundtrack to this trailer – the actual play itself does not have any music or singing, even though Nicola’s character is described as a former teacher who became so disillusioned with the education system that she was now busking in the London Underground.
Press Releases and Reviews
The play received mixed reviews from the critics. Some liked it, others didn’t. The critics did not comment too much on Nicola’s performance. Many of the reviews contained quite detailed analysis of the play’s plot and various characters.
Telegraph
(this review includes a gallery of 8 photos from the play, two of which feature Nicola)
BBC Newsnight
(this is a video review which is available to both UK and non-UK viewers)
Six degrees
Gugu Mbatha-Raw appeared in a number of episodes in Series 5 of Spooks [TV], as the nanny for Wes (Adam’s son) who was recruited by Ruth. However, the actual recruitment took place off screen so she did not appear in any scenes with Nicola.
Stanley Townsend also appeared as Roy Woodring in episode 405 of Spooks [TV] but he did not have any scenes with Nicola. Stanley has also appeared in Moll Flanders [TV] and Jonathan Creek [TV] but not in the same episodes as Nicola.
Availability on Amazon UK
You can purchase a copy of the play at Amazon UK
If you live outside the UK, it may be cheaper for you to buy a copy of the Play from the Bookdepository.
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