Early Days (Of a Better Nation) @ The Arches

I had to have the last word.

Early Days is not a play: it is a big role-playing game that gets the 'audience' to pretend that they are part of a 'unity' parliament, in the future, in the imaginary nation of Dacia. Divided into three competing groups, the 'audience' get to decide on the path that this country takes after a civil war. 

Quite who fought the civil war is unclear - there was this nasty dictator who got kicked out, and a vague 'world government' is offering aid. But the main event consists of people having a good old shout at each other, with the 'actors' noticeable in their enthusiasm for antagonistic positions.

I think I got the last word: after we decided where we'd spend Dacia's resources, there were a series of questions, gauging how the event had been experienced. The final question - who is going to vote in the upcoming (real life) elections - led to me sitting all by myself as the only 'no'. So I got to explain why I was sitting on the opposite side of the room to an 'audience' who had been practicing their shouting for the previous two hours.

Apart from giving me the chance to voice my anarchist objections to representative democracy (it is a commodification of activism, actually), Early Days was all about presenting an experience: how would you behave if you were in a position of political responsibility?

Apparently, I'd sit about on my arse and watch other people shriek. 

Early Days, in spite of the second act, which is performed in darkness, and the bonhomie of the actors, is tremendously earnest. It's good fun if you like pretending to be the victim of a civil war, or voicing pseudo-feminist systems of hierarchy. It seems to intend to say something about the difficulties of resolving conflict, or maybe something about the economic foundations of civil society. 

Matt Trueman has plenty to say about it. I don't. It sets up a situation that may or may not reflect the reality of a post-civil war society, encourages the audience to pretend that they have a stake in something, and asks the kind of questions I would ask my standard grade students after a role-play session. 

I actually wonder whether turning a situation which has been fairly familiar over the past century into a board game for theatre students is immoral. Encouraging an empathetic understanding of civil strife seems like a good idea, but encouraging people to pretend they lost their kids in a famine leaves a bad taste. 

Gob Squad: Trying to get to grips with a Blown Mind...

Gob Squad: Western Society: first thoughts

Trust me, I am going to musing on this production for a while.

There will be a review up on The List's website.

I have to spend some time thinking about what I have seen.

There is little enough, scraps only, to talk about if we are thinking

plot. Gob Squad found a short video (of A Party in California). Nothing happens... nothing dramatic. This isn't, as they say, one of those good videos where a cat falls in a toilet and the internet rejoices.

It's just some people who aren't really communicating with each other, but having some cake. There is a dancing grandmother. 

Noting her energy:age proportions, they briefly consider whether she has a good contact for pharmaceuticals.

Gob Squad have some familiar strategies, which they used in Kitchen. They get members of the audience up on stage to do the acting. They also film the acting and project it onto a screen.

Their ambition is to recreate That Party. They get the audience to join them to be the guests at That Party.

Then they interrupt to ask each other questions, all game show

tension and vacuous dualities.

Is this film or theatre?

Is it live or mediated?

Theatre or ritual?

Lady Gaga or John the Baptist?

Void or Meaning?

Trust me, I am going to on here a cat falls a toilet this production for a while.

 dancing grandmother will be a review 

I have to  John Baptist? what I have.

There is enough, contact for. only, talk about if we are thinking. Gob Squad found a short spend time thinking about(A Party in California). ... proportions dramatic. This isn't, up on List's website. as they say, one those good videos w and the internet rejoices.

just some people who they aren't really with each other, but having some. There is a. 

Noting energy:age , recreate That Party. They briefly little do the acting. They also film acting and project it onto a screen. consider she has a good 

Gob Squad have scraps some video to ask each other questions,

all familiar strategies, they used in Kitchen. They get of the mediated?

or ritual?

Lady Gaga or

Void or ?audience up on stage

ambition is to  the audience to join them to be the guests at That Party.

Then they game tension and vacuous dualities. Nothing happens

Is this film or?

Is it live 

Dark Behaviour: Queer Futures