Mixed Up North
Wilton’s Music Hall, London
This Much Is True
Theatre 503, London
This week, two examples of verbatim theatre. This form of theatre, which collects the words spoken by real individuals and puts them into the mouths of actors, has been a vital part of the rebirth of political theatre since September 11. But since these words are always edited, abbreviated or otherwise changed, there are very many different ways of creating verbatim drama.
Robin Soans’ Mixed Up North (which finishes its nationwide tour at Wilton’s Music Hall in east London) is based on extensive research in Burnley, Lancashire. After interviewing lots of local people, Soans uses his material to tell the story of how, in the wake of the 2001 riots, Trish – a 50-something Christian youth worker – comes to the city to set up a theatre group which aims to bring teens from all backgrounds together. However, when her lead actor throws a wobbler and walks out, she decides to hold a public discussion about mixed race relationships.
Soans’ well-researched verbatim drama begins with Trish introducing us to her world and its deftly drawn characters. These include Bella, the pregnant director, Jen the community worker and trainees such as the mesmerising Uday or the gobby Aneesa, with the bright teens represented by Javed, Maureen, Wendy and Kylie.
In Max Stafford-Clark’s engaging production, there’s a riot of issues – from arranged marriages in the Asian community to mixed relationships and Romeo and Juliet stories. During the public discussion in Act Two, a conflict flares up between a county officer and a community worker about the effectiveness of local government intervention.
Some issues remain explosive, such as the grooming by older Asian men of underage white teenage girls, because it’s these kind of situations that have been exploited by racist troublemakers. But, like other Out of Joint verbatim shows, the painful issues are leavened by humour and the evening ends with a cheerful dance number.
The cast is a mix of experienced actors, led by Celia Imrie’s radiant Trish, Muzz Khan as Uday and Stephanie Street as Aneesa, along with recent graduates from London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art such as Kathryn O’Reilly (Bella), Lisa Kerr (Kylie), Rose Leslie (Wendy) and Claire Rafferty (Maureen). Yet despite the enjoyable performances, the show has a static format and is informative rather than thrilling.
By contrast, Paul Unwin and Sarah Beck’s This Much Is True is both a piece of verbatim drama and a thrilling theatrical experience. There are two reasons for this. First, the show tells the story of Jean Charles de Menezes, the Brazilian man shot dead by police at Stockwell tube station in 2005 – and that story, with its shocking events and scandalous cover ups, is inherently compelling.
Second, the theatre form that Uniwin and Beck have chosen recounts the events with enormous theatrical flair and passion. Using a fragmented form, which jumps around in time but constantly has a forward rush, they tell not only what happened to de Menezes on July 22 2005, but also show the effect of his death on his family and friends.
Clearly, this kind of drama raises important questions about police tactics, especially when the Met was under strain in the hysteria following the July 7 bombings, and about the unwillingness of the police to tell the truth immediately after the events. One scene, when a police officer withdraws his testimony, is recreated on stage – and is a palpable shock to the audience.
A small cast, directed by Tim Roseman, is divided into one group of two women and one man that plays the victims’ relatives
and another, also two women and one man, who play all the other roles. Based on interviews with tops cops, Michael Mansfield QC and members of the de Menezes campaign, the play is both an enjoyable piece of theatre and a document which rings with fresh evidence about police malpractice and the lack of justice.
Aleks Sierz
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