Theatre Uncut 2012

Participants: Kieran Hurley, Rod at Red Ladder, Emma, Monica Nappo, Topher Rowland, Frabcesca Hyde, Valeria, Daniel Bye, Amardeep Sohi, John Matthew Ward, Aliki Chapple, Tom L Frankland, Rebecca Mansen jones, Ana Brothers, Valentina Zagaria, Annie Rigby, Mark James Maughan, Pascal Porchreon, Lauren N Cooney

Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:

Theatre Uncut 2011 took the form of 8 plays written by Mark Ravenhill, Dennis Kelly, David Grieg, Anders Lustgarten, Clara Brennan, Laura Lomas, Lucy Kirkwood and Jack Thorne. These were available to download from the Theatre Uncut website and could be performed by anyone anywhere rights free for one week. There were over 75 performances of the plays across the UK, Ireland, Germany and the USA.

This year Theatre Uncut will include international voices writing about the financial/political situation in their own country.

Theatre Uncut 2011 was a response to the proposed cuts in public spending outlined by the coalition government in October 2010. This year there is not such a clear moment of focus for inspiration. So what is the focus of this year’s plays?

Is it a response to the current state of global capitalism?

There is an important sense of being part of something bigger (parallels with the Occupy Movement)

How can we work with the communities that are worst affected by the current financial situation? By taking these plays into schools, work places, pubs, community groups etc and inviting the communities to read or perform the plays themselves.

How can we give voice to the audience, allowing them to share their response?  Create spaces for debate. Invite local writers to write plays in response (as was done in Lancaster last year). Use popular education and forum theatre techniques to physically engage the audience.

Where is it possible to perform these plays? In the street, shopping centres, the foyer of the National Theatre, playgrounds as well as theatres.

It’s just as important that this conversation happens in theatres as it is outside.

Would the writers be happy for their work to be translated so many more people can hear the work?

How could we engage a digital audience? Why would we want to do this? To reach many people who wouldn’t otherwise have access to the plays. Ideas were, film the plays, release trailers/teasers, live streaming from various locations.

How can we best organise the management of the project this year? Create online forums for people to discuss and support each other through the process.

Theatre Uncut is clearly a political project. How do we engage people that wouldn’t usually go for political theatre? It doesn’t need to be sugar coated. It wears its heart on its sleeve.

We need manpower now…

We really need a producer. Do you know/are you the right person for the job?

We also need a press officer who will be supported by Elin Morgan of Prospero Communication as consultant.

There is a lot of documentation from last years project in the form of film, image and printed material. This needs to be collected, collated and edited. Can anyone help with this.

Some people offered their help for certain elements (like sorting out the shoddy website) and contact details were gathered for support in the future.

If you are interested in the project and would like to offer support, or just hear more then please do get in touch emmacallander via Improbable

Theatre Uncut is a voluntary organisation all time and work is donated.