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Cave Dwellers
Playwright - Nicola McCartney
Director - Gordon Laird
Designer - Evelyn Barbour
Lighting Designer - Dave Shea
Musical Composer - Robert Burlin
Company - 7:84 Theatre Company Scotland the production is dedicated
to the late John McGrath who founded the company and died in January 2002
Venues & Dates - Tour See end of review for details
14 Feb - 23 March 2002
Seen - 19 Feb 2002
Reviewer - Ksenija Horvat
Brennan's intensely physical and utterly captivating
Refugees are one global problem governments like to try to sweep under
the carpet, until the embarrassing bulges show and the unspeakable stench
poisons people's minds. This is what Michael Ondaatje meant when he said
that nothing around us can and 'will change until the people of this country
cease to be cave-dwellers of the mind'
Nicola McCartney's new play Cave Dwellers puts us in the dual position
of both prosecutors and the prosecuted. Her, at times, heavy-handed treatment
of the subject matter and lack of humour in this piecemay be deliberate
and quite understandable. But the risk is an audience may laugh at the
most unseemly places. War is an uneasy topic to undertake, and on its
shores many playwright's ship has been wrecked. Though certain scenes
do sink when we want them to soar, one must applaud McCartney's bravery
to embark upon this story, as well as her tactfulness unveiling it.
Three anonymous human destinies are laid bare in a fragmented reconstruction.
Mary McCusker touchingly renders the old woman whose recollections
of the past war and the present one merge into one. There's a slightly
overdone interpretation by Helen Devon of the young woman in search
of her son and her identity is given. The last of the trio waiting for
the boat to freedom is a young boy running from his past, played by Gary
Collins in his best show to date. Their stories intermingle with narrative
by a mysterious man - an intensely physical and utterly captivating performance
by Liam Brennan. Brennan's character toys with his invisible
inquisitors, and it is not until the end of the play that we, the audience,
realise that we have been deceived and turned from mere observers into
the accused. Our sin? Complacency, apathy and hollow sympathy for the
people who don't need our pity, but desperately need our support.
Gordon Laird with his fine cast, manages to escape most of the unevenness
of his previous work, particularly Marching On. Despite having the pace
and energy that this piece needs, stage movement is muddled in places.
We are coaxed by heavy mime into believing that the characters do not
understand each other then volte-face we discover that, actually, they
do. The simple but effective set design by Evelyn Barbour and lighting
by Dave Shea suggests possible solutions buried somewhere in the cavities
of our mind. They also recall the labyrinth, the whirlpool of war where
innocence has no dominion.
All in all, this is a thought provoking show that needs to be seen. So
go and see it.
Note: This production of Cave Dwellers is dedicated to late John McGrath.
© Ksenija Horvat 19 February 2002
* In 7:84 Theatre Company Scotland's programme note for Cave Dwellers
it says that currently 'Europe receives less than % and the UK less than
.04% of the world's refugees. Yet, in many European countries, including
Britain 'there are efforts to challenge the Convention and to limit the
human rights protection offered to refugees'.
Review of previous
7:84 production - Marching
On
Review of previous Nicola McCartney play - Heritage
Tour Details
Tour Starts
14 - 16 Feb 2002 at 7:30pm Paisley Arts Centre 0141 887
1010
19 - 23 Feb at 8pm Edinburgh Traverse Theatre 0131 228 1404
27 Feb at 8pm St Andrews Byre Theatre 01334 475000
28 Feb at 7:45pm Cumbernaul Theatre 01236 732887
2 March at 8pm Plockton Hall tickets on the door
5 March at 8pm Inverness Eden Court Theatre 01463 234234
7 March at 8pm Thurso Mill Theatre 01847 892019
9 March at 8pm Finhorn Universal Hall 01309 690110/01343
562600
11 March at 7:30pm Banchory Woodend Barn Arts Centre 01330
825431
13 March at 7:30pm Musselburgh Nr Edinburgh Brunton Theatre
0131 665 2240
14 March at 7:30pm Glasgow Easterhouse Visual Statement 0141
287 9829
16 March at 7:30pm Ballachulish Village Hall 01855 811979
19 - 23 March at 8pm Glasgow Tron Theatre 0141 552 4267
Tour Ends
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