★★★★☆
David Hare’s documentary-drama caused a stir when it appeared in 2003. Can a show made up of verbatim accounts from those involved in the privatisation of the railways in the 1990s, or those caught up in the four rail disasters between 1997 and 2002, still pack a punch? Or might its depiction of Blair-era mendacity appear quaint these days, even with HS2 rows and arguments about privatisation rumbling on?
As it happens Alexander Lass’s sensitive revival makes a strong case for The Permanent Way as one of Hare’s most enduring and affecting pieces of writing. Hare spoke to people high up in government or the civil service or industry, and to crash victims and campaigners. He quotes them adroitly, always moving the story forwards