(Dominic Cavendish’s article appeared in the Telegraph, 6/21.)
In June 2013, Edward Snowden became a global cause célèbre after lifting the lid on the mass surveillance programmes of US intelligence organisations.
Whatever your feelings about the merits of his actions, his story exerts a powerful fascination: what does it feel like to go from obscure computer geek to America’s most-wanted? How does anyone cope with the psychological fall-out of becoming a fugitive, reliant on the kindness of strangers – in Snowden’s case, the Russians?
In Snowden, a biopic scheduled for release in September, Oliver Stone will explore how this digitally savvy David came to confront a governmental Goliath. In the meantime, Mike Bartlett follows up his recent successes on stage (King Charles III) and the small-screen (Doctor Foster) with a show that boldly attempts to come at the subject from a fittingly mind-blowing angle.