The Chat

This show is an attempt to open-up elements of the state criminal justice system to the public using real life ex-offenders and prison staff through the medium of theatre while using actors with a gift for improvisation. It's rather like a television discussion programme meeting Theatresports and also includes invited audience participation.

In this scenario, the accent is more on the role of the parole officer and a treatment on past and present attitudes from real life experiences. With this particular performance, where there were, additionally, invited guests familiar with this kind of agenda, an ex-prisoner is invited to swap roles and interview an actor playing the role (improvised) he himself had to endure in his time locked away - this scene was particularly riveting, with terrific performances from both sides. The invited guests are then asked to assess his performance and see whether he is worthy of consideration for release or further detention.

Having an element of experimentation with performances based on the feed back from unrehearsed participants, the organisers can't always predict how the evening is going to end up: this night it was mixture, with some questionable patches, in particular a rather confusing, though superbly acted, scene early in the piece and some rather bland and irrelevant blurb from the audience, though there were a few pertinent comments, in particular from a lady who had had contact with past flaws in the system, along with some interesting relevant feedback from two ex-prisoners: so the real purpose of the concept did bear fruit and create a theatrical 'event' with intrigue.

This is a different form of entertainment with a controversial theme, not so much for those who want to sit back in their seats and be fed; nevertheless, it does open up possibilities for this continued form of fringe entertainment using other subject material.

Great performances from David Woods and Ashley Dyer as the facilitator.

Brian Adamson

Photography by Kasia Sykus