Topical and timeless, Mike Leigh's new play, "Two Thousand Years," at the National, devised in the manner of his films using his cast as collaborators, is a richly entertaining and thought-provoking "life goes on" tale that explores world conflicts through the microcosm of a single family. Filled with lively and provocative references to current affairs from the Middle East to London to the U.S., the play is set over a period of time from when Yasser Arafat was still alive to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. A drama that generates a great deal of laughter, the play is set in the living room of Rachel (Caroline Gruber) and Danny (Allan Corduner) at their comfortable middle-class home in North London.

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