Carry On, Emanuel

In my various reflections on the value and methodology of political art, I fear I might have missed a subjective point. It isn't necessarily the Brechtian techniques that make the politics effective - it is that difficult to discern quality, 'being good', that matters. Sadly, 'Political Art ought to be good' doesn't say much.

Twitter Inspires Thought Shock
However, Oliver Emanuel, the playwright behind Dragon did make a serious point on twitter.

endlessly bored by the idea that political theatre is theatre about politics rather than theatre that engages politically with the culture.
— Oliver Emanuel (@foolisholly) November 7, 2014

He's bang on: 'issue plays' (whether political or about mental health) are tedious, pontificating from a pulpit to the choir, and never really do anything more than consolidate the cosy feeling of congregation... they even encourage the idea that political power is located with other people, those bad people on the stage who are deporting immigrants, or cutting benefits. They allow the politicians to lead the agenda, too.

Some 'theatre about politics' I like
In defence of some issue-based places, I really enjoyed Cora Bissett's Glasgow Girls and the bit in Kieran Hurley's Rantin where Julia Taudevin plays a shop assistant ready to revive King Lud's protest strategies on a self-service checkout is passionate, funny and eloquent: moments like these do make me think. And I just saw Philip Dikotla's Skierlik, which reached beyond the headlines for a thoughtful journey into the possibilities of political storytelling theatre. 

But Emanuel's point is trenchant: it suggests that the very action of a theatrical performance can cause political change. Next door to my office in the CCA, Natasha Gilmore is presenting a performance with Maryhill Integration Network, and her work with them has actively created a community through the creation of the company and choreography. The engagement with culture is a political act, albeit not one that expresses a big issue that is easily recognisable as Politics (as defined by the state). 

Russ Wuss Randy Brandy

I am currently reading Russell Brand's Booky-Wooky 2, either just to annoy myself or consider whether Brand's political pronouncements can be taken seriously. As it goes, Brand hits at the heart of this debate: is it enough for Brand to bellow his opinions, reinforcing the idea that we ought to listen to celebrities? Or does he, like, need to consider his action-wackstions as well as his wordy-birdies? Maybe he is right about the necessity for revolution, but getting published by Harper-Collins might just be pissing all over his credibility chips. 

Brand, however, is a perfect target. Right wing journalists can hammer his naivety. Left-wing journalists can get huffy that he is co-opting their issues and dismiss him as a verbose oaf. I can point out that, like many artists, Brand imagines that by saying the right thing, he is acting politically - yet never allowing his opinions to actually impact on his lavish lifestyle. He is the personification of 'theatre about politics,' which is the aestheticization of politics, which allows him to make money out of political opinions, which makes him a politician, which makes him a bell-end.

I'll come back to that equation later, but linking back to Emanuel's tweet, I get the impress that Randy Russ' politics (is he an anarchist? a socialist?) are a bolt on job: attached not to deep reading in philosophy but his egotism. More than the ideas he claims to own, his political posturing is all about him. Offend his political stance, and he doesn't step back and consider the options. He takes it personally, a sure sign that the change he wants is not for the betterment of the world but so he feels better about himself. 

It is the same reason that I am writing this: I am writing a 'blog about politics.' But it is supposed to be a slightly more expansive 'like' to Oliver Emanuel's thoughtful comment. 

Summary
Maryhill Integration Network are making art that engages politically.
Oliver Emanuel is challenging lazy political gesturing.
I am a bit like Russell Brand, except without all the birds, cash and big public platform.