Related Theatrical Debates:
There were many theatrical events recently that link directly to the issues of our conference. Below, you will find discussions of three of the most noteworthy, covering between them many of the most pressing aspects of the concept of ‘All Together Now’. This coverage is far from comprehensive and you will no doubt have your own preferred bibliography.
1. The Great Game
One of the most ambitious projects of the year, addressing many of the issues of the conference, is surely Nicholas Kent’s commission of playwrights for a series of plays that seeks to engage with the history and current situation in Afghanistan. On their website, The Tricycle Theatre introduces this programme , which also involves their cinema and gallery spaces, as a festival:
‘The aim of this festival is to explore Afghan culture and history. Afghanistan is likely to be the most important focus of British, European and American foreign policy for the rest of this decade, and for many years to come. Through these plays, exhibitions and films it is hoped that audiences will more fully understand how this policy has evolved; and through debate and discussion lessons from the past can be used to better inform action for the future’.
The response to the theatre portion of three programmes of twelve plays spanning 1842 to the present has been overwhelming. The sheer scope of the project has been paramount, but so too the variety of perspectives, theatrical styles, and opportunities to consider aspects of the relationship between Britain and Afghanistan throughout its troubled history. Audiences have responded to the idea of this festival as well as to its substance, and the public commentary on the plays has been substantial (mostly, though not all positive, including the criticism of not including a play by an Afghan writer ). Below is a representative selection of reviews of The Great Game and an article by Guardian reporter and long-time contributor to the Tricycle Theatre’s verbatim works, Richard Norton-Taylor.
Selected Reviews:
Commentary:
2. Seven Jewish Children
Caryl Churchill’s ten-minute play was written as a response to recent events in Gaza and offered for free on the internet to anyone who wanted to produce it as long as money was collected for Gaza relief funds. The play, first produced at the Royal Court, triggered a heated discussion that demonstrates how theatrical performances that address cultural, religious, and political sensitivities play their part in the wider public discourse about these issues. Not only theatre critics but commentators and the public have spoken out for and against the play. The BBC decided they would not broadcast the play because it was perceived to be too partial while the Guardian responded by putting a version on their website (see link below). Churchill has been condemned for anti-Semitism by some and praised for her compassionate intervention by others. The debate about the play has been heated in the US as well, and two well-known Jewish theatre figures, Tony Kushner and Alisa Soloman, have defended the play in a major weekly magazine (see link below). While some insist this play is merely propaganda, others consider it a demonstration of theatre addressing the most important issues of the day. Below are some key links to reading up on this play and its reception:
Access the play online:
- Charlotte Higgins in The Guardian
- Leon Symons in The Jewish Chronicle
- Melanie Phillips in The Spectator
- Tony Kushner and Alisa Solomon in The Nation
- Howard Jacobson in The Independent
- … and responses to Jacobson’s article, including by Churchill herself
- Jacqueline Rose in The Guardian
- Antony Lerman in The Guardian
- US debate between Ari Roth and Jeffrey Goldberg over the play
- Correspondence between Roth and Churchill
Response plays:
- Israel Horowitz’s What Strong Fences Make
- Deb Margolin’s Seven Palestinian Children
- Richard Stirling’s Seven Other Children
3. England People Very Nice
Richard Bean’s England People Very Nice has provided a recent focus for some of the issues to be broached during our conference. Highly controversial, this play has received a number of positive reviews and equally negative critical responses as well. Demonstrators attempted to disrupt a platform at the National Theatre, and many audience members have also expressed strongly felt opinions about the play (you can read what they say on the National website link below). Hussain Ismail and Keith Kinsella have organized a campaign against what they perceive as a racist play, and many thoughtful commentators have written about their own perceptions. Bean has been interviewed concerning the play (see link below) and will speak at our conference where he will no doubt be criticized and defended by other speakers. Below are a number of links that will allow you to sample the opinions surrounding the play and its production at the National Theatre:
National Theatre website and links:
http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/englandpeople/
For audience comment see: http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/?lid=44&board_id=800&gid=2&action=board
Two Representative Reviews:
- Charles Spencer in the Telegraph
- Michael Coveney in the Independent
Some Leading Commentators:
- Anwar Ahktar (East End Director of the Richmix Centre and as Director of CIDA).
- Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (Independent Commentator)
- Rabina Khan on why she withdrew from the debate
- Hussain Ismail’s comment on the Guardian blog:
- Richard Bean interviewed by Maddy Costa in the Guardian
Posted on June 4, 2009 | All Together Now Events, Conference News