A run-of-the-mill piece from an otherwise extraordinary writer, Overture – 1920 is a disappointing coda to William Bolitho's now-antique body of work. Of course, it was never meant to be this way; Bolitho was taken ill a mere month after visiting London to arrange a stage production of this play, and died at age 39 with his life and his work incomplete. Overture, published posthumously, therefore feels unfinished and lacking the refinement which was the singular characteristic of this writer.

As even the most ardent Shakespeare purist knows, even a 'finished' play is never really finished, as each production alters and leaves its own stamp on the written clay. And, while in a previous review I dubbed Bolitho a sort of "journalistic Shakespeare", he is, on the limited evidence of Overture – 1920, not (alas) the Shakespeare of playwrights. This is a rather pedestrian piece, set in the industrial and political disputes of Weimar Germany in the early 1920s – a state of affairs Bolitho had himself covered as a newspaper correspondent during the Versailles conference.

It sounds exciting: a group of well-intentioned socialists – including a pair of star-crossed lovers – pose an ultimatum to their local government not to implement an unjust law. When this is refused, the socialists and the citizenry storm the building and seize the reins of power, only to be overthrown in turn by a military force sent in to quell the rebellion. This arrest leads to some difficult choices for our doomed romantic couple.

However, in practice the play is rather routine; you can see each step coming and there are no real surprises in the drama. None of the characters step out of their templates and express their individuality, and the dialogue is functional and slightly melodramatic. All of this leads to a pleasant if uninspiring reading experience, but the main disappointment is that it lacks depth. One of the finest characteristics of Bolitho's other writings – his journalism and his other essayistic non-fiction – is his depth (and his eloquence while digging). But in Overture the characters don't say anything to us beyond their stated political function, and no deeper theme is addressed, either overtly or within the warp and weft of the drama. Perhaps Bolitho would have worked on the play more had he lived but, in its current form, Overture – 1920 is regrettably not capable of exampling the brilliance of the man, and we must rely on Twelve Against the Gods and Camera Obscura to do so. ( )