A Thousand Miles of History, The Bussey Building, review You could probably take any decade in history, not to mention the last century, and make a case that it was, in some way, significant. In his new play, Harold Finley has chosen to focus on the Eighties, specifically the Eighties art scene in New York, and show us how those years changed the world - or at least, the art world. It's difficult to take this premise seriously. Surely those neon shell suits, perms and penchant for fluorescent colours can't be anything but slightly embarrassing and a bit tacky. Even in the face of this, though, Finley's play still manages to make a good case for that particular time in that particular place as being important. He focuses on the lives of two American artists, the Neo-expressionist Jean-Michel Basquiat and the pop artist Keith Haring, as they go from rebel graffiti artists to two of the most famous and successful artists of their generation. At the centre of this journey is Andy Warhol, played with a touch of humour by the Foster Comedy Award-winning comedian Adam Riches. Warhol, who was a close friend to both artists, provides them with the glamour and the fame that they are looking for. It's an interesting subject, then, and although the play is too long and its structure rather muddled, it manages to be both engaging throughout and ultimately poignant. Finley directs a fluid production littered with video installations and stylised movement. The cast, though, is what lifts the production and there are several very strong performances, specifically Michael Walters as Basquiat and Simon Ginty as Haring. They give sensitive and balanced portrayals of the two artists, each of whom is struggling through the hard-nosed, money-orientated art world to make this name, and yet still maintain his integrity. A Thousand Miles of History runs at The Bussey Building in Peckham Rye until March 30