‘Theatre Uncut’ is a remarkable project. It’s an annual event that invites young
playwrights to write a new short play as a response to a specific theme based
on current affairs. Not only are these
performed together in one evening, but the scripts are posted online for people
to read and perform internationally, creating something of a global theatrical
dialogue.
This year’s theme is “Knowledge is Power. Knowledge is
Change”. Clearly this can be interpreted
in a number of ways, leading to five very distinct plays. Some are all encompassing, others more focused. Together, they reflect our current society as
an often absurd dystopia. Performed by a
superb four-strong cast, with a cleverly designed set and pulsing electronic musical
theme between each play, it’s as if watching a TV show of short scenes – like a
stage version of Charlie Brooker’s Black
Mirror.
With only 10-15 minutes to fill, these plays take on an
abstract, poetic feel in order to get their point across. This leads to some especially creative
thinking in terms of form and tone, allowing each playwright to experiment in
microcosm. Some are more successful than
others, but all five plays are gripping and well-constructed.
A couple are perhaps a little heavy-handed. Ira
Provitt and The Man from Hayley Squires, for example, provides a tough and
serious end to the performance. Focusing
on the theme of education, it involves an older education minister being
questioned by his own conscious, taking the form of a young man. The argument between them is intense and
explores differing views on the future of education, but it lacks the subtle
finesse of the earlier pieces. Vivienne
Franzmann’s The Most Horrific, looks
at the role of the media, its sensationalism and voyeurism. Particularly effective are the attempts at humour
by a fledgling stand-up comedian, though her jokes reel off a whole list of
horrific global and personal issues.
That said, it does feel at times like an exhortation, and the
juxtaposition with a couple at home watching the news isn’t always clear.
What links the first three plays is a great sense of black
humour. Anders Lustgarten’s The Finger of God uses the National
Lottery to mock class divides and the benefits system. The privileged organisers of the lottery sip
wine over a posh meal – numbers of lottery players are down so they decide to
impose punishments on those who take part to, paradoxically, encourage more people
to play. The lower classes, however,
play along despite the danger: desperate, addicted and used as sport as bizarre
as the Hunger Games. Inua Ellams
ridicules bedroom tax in Reset Everything. Thrown together into a single room, the various
characters represent the differing views of social issues (the spiritual
problem, the personal problem, the political problem), whilst the bomb in the
centre reflects a desire to rid ourselves of such over-complication and start
afresh. Then there’s Clara Brennan’s PACHAMAMA that balls together all the
world’s problems into a cosmic, cataclysmic disaster – imposing, inescapable and thrilling.
Not only do these plays highlight major world issues, the
use of humour adds a layer of subtlety, enjoyment and tangibility. Rather than preaching about problems, we can
therefore take a step back and see how absurd they are in the first place. None of the five plays offers a solution, but
they provide a thought-provoking starting point for further discussion.
4/5
Watch: ‘Theatre Uncut’ runs in London at the Soho Theatre
until 30th November, before continuing its UK tour into December.
Pictures courtesy of Jeremy Abrahams.
