I have my doubts about the efficacy of political theatre.
The New Shoes production of Hurried Steps will return to London on October 20 for two special performances hosted by the Tri-Borough Violence Against Women and Girls Strategic Partnership to mark Anti-Slavery Day.
Obviously, I doubt object to events like this.
Based on real stories, including a case of child trafficking. The play will be followed by a post-show discussion with a panel of experts who work locally, to support women as part of the European Communities Against Trafficking (ECAT) Project. The two performances at Kensington Town Hall will include a special early matinee performance to fit in with school hours.
I moan about post-show discussions but think that they are essential (in some format) for political theatre work.
The production which is suitable for ages 15 upwards, highlights the issue of violence against women and girls and seeks to find an answer to the problem. The company includes high-calibre actors from the stage, film and TV who tour nationally with the play. They also provide related workshops for schools and groups.
And this company clearly go the extra mile: the package they offer is expansive and inclusive.
(Jafa Iqbal – EXTRA! EXTRA!)
Most of the time, I worry that a political play encourages the
exact opposite: a sense that, by watching it, the audience feels it has done something and so can sleep easy.
The new publication of the play will be available and it includes a contribution from Bianca Jagger and her Human Rights Foundation.
The new publication of the play will be available and it includes a contribution from Bianca Jagger and her Human Rights Foundation.
And I don't care what Bianca Jagger thinks: any celebrity who supports a good cause just annoys me. Public support is an exchange, a commercial transaction. Whatever Bianca does for Human Rights, she gets a return on it - publicity, status, respect.
Hurried Steps is written by Dacia Maraini, an internationally acclaimed and award winning writer from Italy, who has spent her career addressing women’s issues. She was recently nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature and shortlisted for the International Man Booker Prize.
In the case of feminism - whatever strand of feminism - I think it might be a matter of deep cultural change: 'women's issues' (not a phrase I can use comfortably) is not just a matter of changing a few laws. It shares with racism at least this: attitudes are where the action is.
“...the actors, three women and two men stood behind music stands, but this was to make the drama even more powerful. And power it was. It left one numb.”
(Keith Parkins – UKINDYMEDIA)
Keith makes my point, though. 'It left one numb.' * Numb is a terrible way to feel after seeing something. It is a lack of emotion, just like Aristotle's catharsis suggests. Still, the description is good.
Political theatre always strikes me as a second best strategy for action: if a big demo won't stop Tony Blair going to war, a play can't do much more.
I think there might be a special situation for longer term issues, that are about changing the way that we think - but does theatre, with its liberal audiences, reach the people who need to be thinking about this stuff?
Anti-slavery action is one of the many things that I approve - and I am willing to stretch the definition of slavery to include working in Primark. I'm not saying this isn't a worthy play, but if it is judged as pure aesthetics (like, how good were the actors?), it avoids the issue. If it is reviewed as politics, it avoids the theatricality.
Small Hall, Kensington Town Hall, Horton St, London, W8 7NX.
£10 for Adults & £7 for Concessions.
Discounts available for community and school groups.
20th October 2014 - 12.30 & 7.30
*While I am on this, this is a good example of why critic saying 'one' when they mean 'I' is dumb. Given the previous sentence - which includes 'three women and two men,' 'one' here could mean 'one of the three women' or 'one of the two men.' So apart from making Keith sound like he think's he's the queen of something, it is incoherent writing.
Hurried Steps is written by Dacia Maraini, an internationally acclaimed and award winning writer from Italy, who has spent her career addressing women’s issues. She was recently nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature and shortlisted for the International Man Booker Prize.
In the case of feminism - whatever strand of feminism - I think it might be a matter of deep cultural change: 'women's issues' (not a phrase I can use comfortably) is not just a matter of changing a few laws. It shares with racism at least this: attitudes are where the action is.
“...the actors, three women and two men stood behind music stands, but this was to make the drama even more powerful. And power it was. It left one numb.”
(Keith Parkins – UKINDYMEDIA)
Keith makes my point, though. 'It left one numb.' * Numb is a terrible way to feel after seeing something. It is a lack of emotion, just like Aristotle's catharsis suggests. Still, the description is good.
Political theatre always strikes me as a second best strategy for action: if a big demo won't stop Tony Blair going to war, a play can't do much more.
I think there might be a special situation for longer term issues, that are about changing the way that we think - but does theatre, with its liberal audiences, reach the people who need to be thinking about this stuff?
Anti-slavery action is one of the many things that I approve - and I am willing to stretch the definition of slavery to include working in Primark. I'm not saying this isn't a worthy play, but if it is judged as pure aesthetics (like, how good were the actors?), it avoids the issue. If it is reviewed as politics, it avoids the theatricality.
Small Hall, Kensington Town Hall, Horton St, London, W8 7NX.
£10 for Adults & £7 for Concessions.
Discounts available for community and school groups.
20th October 2014 - 12.30 & 7.30
*While I am on this, this is a good example of why critic saying 'one' when they mean 'I' is dumb. Given the previous sentence - which includes 'three women and two men,' 'one' here could mean 'one of the three women' or 'one of the two men.' So apart from making Keith sound like he think's he's the queen of something, it is incoherent writing.
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