A recent visit to the theatre reminded me what an important place the theatre has within the public sphere. The play I saw was Pests by Vivienne Franzmann, produced by the Drayton Arms Theatre in Kensington.
In a little over than an hour the two actresses – Megan Macey and Caroline Maitland – raised important questions about how difficult it is for women with mental health issues to get back on their feet after prison.
A percentage of the ticket sales went to support Women in Prison (WIP), a charity that supports women harmed by the criminal justice system.
The play reminded me that women in prison often experience sexual abuse, violence and mental health issues, and yet after they leave prison they often become homeless.
This is why WIP chief executive Dr. Kate Parradine thinks that we need less prisons not more.
And campaiging theatre work like this is not limited to the fringe. The National Theatre’s recent production of Alice Birch’s play [ BLANK ] broke from tradition to use 60 short scenes to raise awareness of the ways in which women and children are affected by prison.
And the influential theatre group Cardboard Citizens regularly presents work developed with people who have experienced homelessness and are at risk of becoming homeless.
Reading about Pests after the show I found out that both the actresses and the director Ross Barbour are recent graduates. So as we approach the election it’s comforting to be reminded that there is a new generation of artists out there who care about social issues.
And perhaps art will have more of an impact on a younger generation that appears to be paying less and less attention to traditional news. In plays such as Pests and [ BLANK ] the audience can learn about issues through the real life experiences gathered by the playwright, and these theatrical stories might affect that audience more than news stories ever could.
