in 1991, before an election they did not expect to win, the Conservative government made a fateful decision to privatize the railways. Now, 12 years later, as a result of that privatization, the taxpayer subsidizes the system more lavishly than ever before. In "The Permanent Way", David Hare, working with actors from the Out of Joint Company, tells the intricate madcap story of a dream gone sour, by gathering together the first-hand accounts of those most intimately involved - from every level of the railway system. Funny, tragic and compelling, the play offers an extraordinary parable of British mismanagement which raises questions about the recent history of the country.