A two-hander set in the presidential palace in the last hours of the Chilean president’s life, Luigi Laraia’s play takes known facts and fictionalises a conversation between Allende and the mysterious Agent D. It’s unavoidable that a play of this nature will have a big exposition dump early on, and this certainly does. Dan Owen as Allende and Richard Tananbaum as Agent D play nicely off each other as the mystery man challenges Allende’s beliefs and forces him to account for his decisions and failings. There’s a nice section where a chess game provides a metaphor for Allende’s disastrous situation. It’s a well-handled piece that nicely balances history with drama.

C aquila, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Tom Brogan]