Best of the West End

During the past week I've been to two plays in London, and it just doesn't get any better. A few days ago I went to see La Bete at the Comedy Theatre. Not the easiest of plays, but Mark Rylance's performance, and in particular his 35 minute monologue at the beginning of the play, is a theatre-goer's dream. It's worth it for that alone. While his supporting cast, Joanna Lumley and David Hyde-Pierce, do the best they can in the circumstances, but heaven knows it's a one-man show. But an even bigger treat was All My Sons at the Apollo, Shaftesbury Avenue, arguably Arthur Miller's masterpiece. It was certainly the finest performance I've seen of this play, in London or New York. David Suchet gives us a masterclass that I would compare with Olivier's performance in Long Day's Journey into Night. Zoe Wanamaker, as his demented wife, is a wonderful foil, and the two of them are backed up by a faultless cast. Don't, I repeat, don't, miss this production. It could be many years before you see a better Miller.