‘DRAMA HAS MEANING, BUT THEATRE IS EFFECT '
Ch . I d ' Steve Cramer talks Bone oyBritain’s most internationally acclaimed, but locally neglected dramatists, Edward Bond, about children, violence and theatre
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Steve Cramer :\ lot of your \vork involves the Use ol‘ violence. both physical and psychological. Why do you think this is so prevalent in society"?
Edward Bond Human beings have a capacity. but not a need to be violent. In our society we haye a basic contradiction. We live in a democracy. which means it's a political system which wants to ensure jtistice and equality for everybody within the system. This is different from other l'orms of government not based on freedom and choice but on doing what you're told. So democracy is superior to any other political system that we've got so liar. But there‘s a llayy because we live in an economic system. a money system. a consumer system. which must create injustice. It's like being told \ve‘re lish who have leathers — \y‘e‘ye got it wrong. There are. as a result. all kinds ol‘ resentment. all kinds ol ideological straightjackets that try to force people into various forms of behaviour. and I think it becomes the opposite ol‘ freedom. and I think there‘s a yery basic need in human beings. which is the passion for l‘reedom. SC In your 2000 play. The Children. here presented by Dundee Rep. you present a nightmare scenario of a bleak future for children in a technologised society. What's your attitude to the young'.’
EB I write for children because children ask all the prol‘ound questions that philosophers ask — Plato and Aristotle and Kant and so on. They don't haye that academic language. but they ask the same things. They‘re not actually asking what is the price of this in the shop. what is my mortgage going to be. \yhat‘s the rate of inflation. These might be absolutely yital questions for adults. but children are free enough to talk about freedom.
SC And adults‘.’
E8 The adults in this play are not eyil or yyicked. they are just people yy ho hay e been corrupted. damaged. made dangerous by their esperience. They \y ant reyenge. ()n the original lirst night. I heard [no \yomen come out ol' the theatre and one said ‘()h my (iod . . .' I thought she “as going to go on and criticise the play. but she said '. . . I talk to my children like that?‘
SC The ('lii’lt/rt'n seems to esemplily the yyay in yyliich you are accepted oyerseas as a major \oice in international drama. but here in the [K your yyoik is quite neglected.
E8 The ('lii/t/rt'u is \irtually neyer oll the stage in l-‘rancc. Someone described it to me as a classic the other day. So too my lliir plays \y ere done once in lingland. and hey er in Scotland. yy hile in l-rance they 're part ol the Baccalaureate.
SC Your yyork seems to create real suspicion \y ithin the British theatre. ls this partially because ol the techniques employ ed in presenting theatre here'.’
EB This is my quarrel yyith the linglish theatre. There are great actors. but they hay c this thing ol' saying. 'lloyy are \ye going to do this. hoyy yyill yye stage that." and l sa} back. 'Yes. but \\ hat does it mean‘." That's the dil‘l‘erence bctyyccn theatre and drama. Drama has meaning. but theatre is cl‘l'ect. This is yyhy young people are so good in my plays. because the meaning is more important than the el'l'ect. When a child comes to you and says. 'l.ook daddy l'ye cut my linger" you don’t say. ‘Thal's not a yery big cut. can you go ayyay and get a bigger one'. Our theatre yy ants a bigger cut for el‘l‘ect. yyhereas I say. that's a small cut. but it‘s a cut in the child's soul.
The Children, Dundee Rep, Thu 17-Sat 19 Jan.
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* The Blue Room Dawd Hare‘s version of Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde was somewhat buried under the media storm that attended the scenes of nudity in the original production. Here Replico theatre hope to present a less sensationalised versron of a play for two actors. who are asked to portray sexual and emotional encounters between a dozen characters. See preview. page 76. Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow. Tue 22—Sat 26 Jan.
* The Children A play about the resistance of children to the violent and repressive attitudes of adults, it promises strong drama with profound political and philosophical questions beneath the text. See preview. left. Dundee Rep, Thu 77—Sat 79 Jan.
>l< Translations Brian Friel’s drama. which examines the conflicts between a party of 19th century British soldiers drawing up an ordinance survey map of Donegal and the inhabitants of a local Village promises compelling entertainment. lt‘s presented by Andy Arnold's Arches Company. which has a strong record with Irish drama. See preview, 75. Citizens’ Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 23 Jan—Sat 2 Feb.
* Act One The acclaimed contemporary dance troupe Vincent Dance Theatre presents two recent and very innovative works, Look at Me Now, Mummy and Test Run. Noted for their breaking of the usual conventions of dance. this company promise an evening of physical and genre challenges of our expectations. See preview, page 75. Tron, Glasgow, Thu 31 Jan, then touring.
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