Written by: Wendy (@Wendyfer1)Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
*****
Theatre Uncut is not so much a performance to be reviewed, but an event and an idea to be greatly appreciated for both its premise and produce. Its founding last year was a response to the coalition’s plans to make drastic cuts to public spending, the idea being to create a theatrical protest by utilizing the skills of political playwrights. Contributors included names such as Mark Ravenhill and David Grieg, whose short plays were then performed across the country by volunteers, rights-free.
This year, the event has instead been a response to
worldwide civil unrest. In the words of Emma Callander, it is an “international
exchange of ideas” from Egypt, Syria, Iceland, Scotland, Greece, America and
more. This has been the year of the Arab Spring and the Euro crisis, so
playwrights have been asked to respond to their own country’s situation.
Firstly, in the cosy underbelly of the Traverse Theatre, I
was treated to In The Beginning
written by Neil LaBute, a charming,
combined exploration of family politics and the future of activism in America. Secondly
came The Price by Lena Kitsopoulou,
an absurd commentary on how economic troubles are eating away at the humanity
of Greece. The third play was The
Break-Out by Anders Lustgarten (receiver of the Harold Pinter Playwright
award), a beautifully written inquisition on taking the chance for freedom.
Finally, the fourth play was London 2012:
Glasgow by Kieran Hurley.
Hurley is obviously a playwright with astonishing talent, as
his submission was apparently written only a few days before the event. Performed
whole-heartedly by Thom Tuck and to my surprise, Phil Jupitus, this was ten
minutes of insightful, hilarious mockery of the Olympic organizer’s lack of
integrity. Based on the unfortunate ‘North Korean football team, South Korean
flag scandal’ in Glasgow, Phil Jupitus plays an incompetent, marketing department
version of Malcolm Tucker whose hypocrisy is exposed. Along the way, there is
just the right amount of gratuitous swearing.
Overall, the standard of writing and acting was very high;
especially considering it was made clear we were essentially watching
read-throughs/rehearsals. But what really deserves credit is the spirit of the
event. They have no funding - all participants and organizers are volunteers.
The political intentions are admirable and worthwhile. As with last year, all
the plays will soon be freely accessible, which above all shows the priorities
of the producers, directors and writers. These are people who care about art as
art as opposed to art as an industry - something which warrants them genuine
respect.
Theatre Uncut runs until 20 August 2012.
Tickets: £6.50/£4.50
@theatreuncut
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