HEADLINES

Monday, March 05, 2007

Politics and the Theatre: What's Left - Watch the video

On Tuesday February 27th at The New Culture Forum, Chris Campbell, Shelley Silas, Minette Marrin and Richard Bean discussed 'Politics and the Theatre' with Peter Whittle. We're very grateful to our friend Alex Story who brings us the following videos of the event.



Watch Part II & Part III & Part IV & Part V

More on the event

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Although Douglas Murray has been pointing to The Netherlands as a warning to us all (see previous blogs), it is also a country that is less plagued by political correctness than the UK and where you can actually see plays where white working class Dutch people do complain about the neighbourhood going to the dogs since the ‘foreigners’ moved in - just what Nicholas Hytner and the panel in this debate were asking for, presumably. Of course, such statements by characters have to be balanced with the discrimination that foreigners suffer, and the plays I am referring to are in the distinct genre of ‘community theatre’, but it is still there.

With regards to the regular theatre I am about to start translating a fragment of a cracking play that vividly depicts the power of fundamentalist propaganda in the context of a decadent west, with the ordinary bloke trying to find his way through it all. It's funny as well. I'm about to start looking for a producer so if you know of anyone…

Anonymous said...

One of the plays mentioned in the discussion as possibly right-wing was 'Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads' by award-winning playwright Roy Williams.

This play will be playing at the Hackney Empire 22nd to the 25th March, for bookings see: www.hackneyempire.co.uk/show_details.php?show=56

To see the YouTube trailer see: http://www.pilot-theatre.com/redesign/?idno=1124

Thor Holt said...

Not 100% sure that Working Class People onstage complaining about degredation of their neighbourhoods will sway Government Policy or Middle Class Theatre goers though Terry? Isn't that a bit like expecting Alf Garnet to influence Immigration Policy?
Good luck with finding a Producer... now if you want your play staged North of the Border I may be able to point you in the right direction. If you need Actors... talk to my agent ;-)

Anonymous said...

Hmm, I obviously didn't word that very well.

The Dutch don't do working class people as well as we do, just as they don't do deprived neighbourhoods like we do. The nominal 'working class' - not a term that would be used in NL anyway and a distinction that would be considered rather suspect - would be far more articulate than our stereotype and is likely to be doing an evening course in something or other.

The white working class could do with their fears being articulated though - the failure of the chattering classes to take their fears seriously - perhaps because they are working class - lets the BNP determine the agenda.

Anonymous said...

The only way to guarantee a sure-fire win for yourself when gambling is if you could place a bet on a 100% certainty carrying a 100% commitment of being paid when you win. Let's face it though - that scenario will never arise in your entire lifetime!
football betting [url=http://www.pulsebet.com][img]http://www.betus.com/images/newsite1024/images/logos/logo.png[/img]sports football betting[/url]
Hot football betting tips are practical advice to help bettors, newbies and pros alike, to consistently earn profits. But as in any game of chance, everybody has to follow rules or risk losses that empty the bankroll. One big tip is never to bet more than you can afford. [url=http://www.pulsebet.com]football betting[/url] Myth #5: Professional gamblers pick their spots, betting just a couple of games a weekend.
Reality: Actually, sophisticated gamblers bet a lot of games. Think of it this way: If you're a successful gambler, why risk serious money on just a few games where a freak play or an official's call can make you a loser? The wider the net is tossed, the less of a factor luck becomes in the outcome.

Like every popular sport, football comes with its own gambling opportunities. It̢۪s a way for fans to show their support, while adding to the already big thrill of the game.