By Paul Burton

"It must never happen again". Words uttered more than once by John Prescott. Unfortunately 'It' does happen again, and again, and again. 'It' being a train crash. Hare's 'play' considers the fate of the British Railway network during and after privatisation; Through the words of those involved, whatever their connection, recorded during extensive interviews.

He starts with a simple question; 'Why can't Britain run a railway?' Then proceeds to examine attitudes through some incisive comedy. This gives way to a study of the Southall crash, conducted with forensic precision, by the officer heading the investigation. Right up to the point where, while proceeding to the site of the Ladbroke Grove disaster, he is ordered off the case. This is, dramatically speaking, the strongest part of the play; Since what we are dealing with here is a piece of Agit-Prop, a documentary performed actors.

With the departure of the policeman the piece shows some signs of losing its way, as personal stories draw attention away from the bigger picture. However just as it may be losing your attention it grabs hold again with a moment of visceral, heart-stopping shock.

It does suggest some possible answers to the question posed at the beginning but lacks a sense of resolution. An echo into the marked absence of a public enquiry, or any kind of closure, in respect of the most recent incident at Potter's Bar.

This is an unashamedly political piece which wears its principles proudly. Whether you are able to engage with it will depend on how well you can connect with these principles. It does reward the effort. If you are expecting a drama with characters, plot, a beginning, middle and end, then you may be disappointed. An interval would have helped maintain concentration as the relentlessness of the production can be rather numbing.