Project Dictator
Or, 'Why democracy is overrated and I don't miss it at all'
Norwich Theatre
Rhum + Clay's autumn tour of the totalitarian satire 'Project Dictator' arrived at Norwich Theatre Playhouse this week just as our own political conference season is in full swing, with each party leader taking it in turn to deliver keynote speeches filled with promises of changes for the better. Meanwhile, Rhum + Clay add a chilling subtext to their own show's title, with the words “Why democracy is overrated and I don't miss it at all”.
The show starts with playwright Martin (played by Matthew Wells) starring as Tobias as he hits the campaign trail in an attempt to become party leader. His plans are somewhat hi-jacked by the antics of Jeremy (Julian Spooner), and together, their slapstick routine and repeated breaking of the fourth wall remind me a lot of Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson's anarchic duo The Dangerous Brothers back in the 1980's. Together, they have the audience, particularly the front third of the auditorium, revelling in every joke and comedic spat as the characters of Tobias and Jeremy wrestle to gain the upper hand. The third member of the cast is background pianist Susan, played by Sarah Spencer.
There is no interval. Instead, Jeremy and Tobias withdraw behind the stage curtain, behind which we see them, undressed and hooded, in a dressing room, preparing for the second half of the show. They re-emerge, dressed as a pair of Pierrot clowns, and move through four short mime pieces, during which a menacing voice reminds them to be 'funny, clear and precise' and not to 'deviate from the script'. The mood is much more sinister, and the previously animated front section of the audience soon become stony silent.
Suddenly, the show is halted for what are described as 'technical reasons”, and we hear what sound like the sounds of torture. Eventualy, the instruction is to “evacuate the building”. At that point the cast return to take their bows.
There is no formal explanation in the programme notes, although it carries the statement that “Project Dictator is dedicated to all the international artists who we spoke to in the making of this work. The sharing of their experience of living and working under authoritarianism had a profound impact. For their safety, they remain anonymous”.
As a show about the importance of creative freedom and lack of censure, 'Project Dictator' is both powerful and thought-provoking, and I am sure that many of the audience will still have been discussing it long after leaving the auditorium.
As for democracy? Well, maybe it is not overrated after all, and maybe we would miss it a lot. To quote the words of Joni Mitchell, “You don't know what yo've got 'til it's gone”.
