“How would you like to meet the people you did this too?” (Sc. 13, pg. 51)
Julian Armistead mixes poetic language and compelling subject matter in After the Accident to create stark observations about the society we live in. The play doesn’t shy away from some hard issues, and Armistead expertly uses passion and emotion to underpin the dramatic, thought-provoking themes contained within his narrative. Centred around the tragic story of a little girl, three people come together to pick apart their feelings about each other, themselves and the wider world around them. It is impossible not to be drawn in by the characters, so real and respectfully are they depicted in the text. This goes some way to explaining why cube essential theatre chose this play to perform as our next project.
Another reason why we feel this play is vital is because of the theme of Restorative Justice (referred to as “RJ” from now on) which runs through the narrative. The action takes place at a “restorative conference” where victim(s) and offender(s) meet, to try to work together to move forward. RJ aims to empower victims by giving them the ability to express just how a crime affected them, and to personally explain to the perpetrator the consequences of their actions.
This is a real practice, used across the UK, with some excellent results: there has been a 14% reduction in the rate of reoffending amongst offenders who have been through an RJ programme (according to the latest Ministry of Justice research) and 85% victims who have participated say they feel satisfied that the conferences are effective in helping them move forward after a crime.
Restorative Justice holds offenders to account, directly and personally, gives them an insight into the real impact of their behaviour, and an opportunity to make amends. Restorative Justice gives victims the chance to have their say, to get answers to their questions, to receive an apology and move on with their lives. – This is from the RJ website (http://www.restorativejustice.org.uk/)
However, the reality is that only a small number of victims and offenders have access to RJ as an aid to rehabilitation. In an effort to raise awareness, Cube has led workshops across Cornwall, engaging community leaders, young people and drug and alcohol awareness groups. Using scenes from the play in order to facilitate a greater understanding of RJ, these workshops were hugely successful and the participants could see how such a programme would benefit Cornish communities if used more widely.
RJ is often assumed to be something which is an easy way out for the offender, an unviable option especially for victims and perpetrators of serious crimes. After the Accident challenges this assumption; the play’s aim isn’t to glamorise a crime or patronise the audience with simple answers, but to use dramatic devices to show how RJ can work effectively alongside the criminal justice system, to repair trust within a community.
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
After The Accident
“Could you meet the person who shattered your life?"
“Could you meet the
person whose life you shattered?”
Could you?
There is maybe a curiosity in wanting meet someone who wronged you? Or from the
perspective of the offender perhaps wanting to meet with the one they have
wronged. To explain? To question? To get
answers?
Both
questions create confusion we all feel as human beings when the lines are
blurred. Whether you or I think the answer to be yes or no, or whether it affects
you personally or not, these questions are an opening to many victims/offenders
to help begin that process of recovery on both sides. Restorative justice can help immediately to
build understanding between victim and offender, and to reduce the stigma of
these labels.
Restorative Justice helps in many ways to achieve its goal by
restoring balance not only to the “Victim” and “Offender” but also in reaching
out to families and the community to bring harmony. Obviously, there are many questions and concerns
when it comes trusting this process if you are new to it but this is where cube
theatre and RJ are working together to create and put into action four steps of
the national restorative justice system.
·
Awareness
·
Access
·
Practice
·
Evidence
With these steps
in mind. RJ working aims to make us the public more aware of projects and ways
to make restorative justice apparent and easy to access for anyone who find
themselves in need of closure.
Being a
student myself I was not aware of this process until I joined cube’s team. Having been thrown into the deep end I have
become fully emerged in restorative justice.
cube
theatre’s new production “After the Accident” by Julian Armistead follows the
process restorative justice takes to make things better / clear the air for all.
It is thought provoking and hard hitting drama that captures its audience’s
emotions.
Highly accessible and utterly
engrossing, this award winning drama takes you on a highly charged journey
where forgiveness and redemption are set against guilt, rage and despair.
Can we ever truly
forgive someone who's hurt our loved ones? This unmissable drama lets you
decide …..
This play is
set to test what we may think is right or what we may think is wrong. It's
tension and drama is what keep us reels us in and at the same time challenges
the audience and actors involved this is why RJ working have picked to work with
cube theatre. We have since put on an event at the Poly Falmouth on the 21st
of November to highlight this cause. cube theatre showcased our promo film, and
the audience loved our work.
Immediate
responses from our audience members, about the plays promo film and restorative
justice.
“It is not
just tough, it’s tougher”
“Thought
provoking, intense”
So do you
find yourself intrigued? Curious? Challenged? Questioned? Or Love new theatre?
Find out
your nearest show dates here! Tour starts in February; we look forward to
seeing you there.
Friday 6th February
The Poly, Falmouth
01326 319461.
www.thepoly.org
Saturday 7th February
Calstock Village Hall, Calstock
01822 834418.
Tuesday 10th February
Dracaena Community Centre, Falmouth
01326 319414
Friday 13th February
Burrell Theatre, Truro
01726 879 500
crbo.co.uk
Tuesday 17th – Saturday 21st February
Bikeshed Theatre, Exeter
01392 434 169
www.bikeshedtheatre.co.uk/
Sunday 22nd February
Devoran Village Hall, Devoran
01872 864854
www.facebook.com/DevoranVillageHall
Tuesday 24th February
Mylor Theatre, Truro
01726 879500
crbo.co.uk
Thursday 26th February
Tolmen Centre, Constantine
01326 341353
www.tolmencentre.co.uk/
Friday 27th February
Hall for Gwinear, nr Hayle
01736 850781
www.hallforgwinear.co.uk
anh@hotmail.co.uk
Saturday 28th February
Grampound Village Hall
manda.simon@btinternet.com
Monday, 14 January 2013
The Preview
FRIDAY
And suddenly, the big day is here.
Teej comes in first thing in the morning, and by the time she leaves, the dances feel like they're in a good place. By 11am, we're doing another full run of the show. Its starting to feel more comfortable and confident...and I'm relieved to find that the daunting costume changes are feeling more and more feasible each time I do them!
At lunchtime, we grab a pasty and go to hook up the trailer to the landrover, ready for our get-out on saturday morning. Having the tour paraphenalia really underlines things...the tour is beginning!
When we get back to theatre, we make the decision to hold back on a second run, and conserve some energy before the night's show. Instead we do some tweaking....particularly those scenes that interact with the film. They have to be very precise, so its worth paying attention to them and getting them as smooth as we can.
Later, Benj and I do a speed line-run whilst walking through our blocking (movements) on set. And before we know it, it's almost 5pm.
Whilst the crew clear the space (moving the tech table to the top of the auditorium and getting things ready for an audience), the actors are starting to feel the nerves! We go down and try and eat some of the Tolmen Centre's top notch dinner, and then try to find a quiet place to slow our minds down, and focus for the show. Before we know it, we're in our starting positions and hearing the sound of 200 people buzzing into the theatre.
The show flies by without a hitch, and its alot of fun to perform. The Tolmen is a brilliant audience, and a lovely space for sharing a performance. The whole place feels really energised. The feedback afterwards is unbelievably positive, and we're so pleased to have made it through from beginning to end!
Later, we'll sit down together and talk about how to carry on improving the show (which bits need more pace, which bits particularly worked, which bits might need altering) The point of a preview is to test a show, and we're pleased to have had the time to do that, and with such a supportive and constructive audience.
Let the tour begin.
And suddenly, the big day is here.
Teej comes in first thing in the morning, and by the time she leaves, the dances feel like they're in a good place. By 11am, we're doing another full run of the show. Its starting to feel more comfortable and confident...and I'm relieved to find that the daunting costume changes are feeling more and more feasible each time I do them!
At lunchtime, we grab a pasty and go to hook up the trailer to the landrover, ready for our get-out on saturday morning. Having the tour paraphenalia really underlines things...the tour is beginning!
When we get back to theatre, we make the decision to hold back on a second run, and conserve some energy before the night's show. Instead we do some tweaking....particularly those scenes that interact with the film. They have to be very precise, so its worth paying attention to them and getting them as smooth as we can.
Later, Benj and I do a speed line-run whilst walking through our blocking (movements) on set. And before we know it, it's almost 5pm.
Whilst the crew clear the space (moving the tech table to the top of the auditorium and getting things ready for an audience), the actors are starting to feel the nerves! We go down and try and eat some of the Tolmen Centre's top notch dinner, and then try to find a quiet place to slow our minds down, and focus for the show. Before we know it, we're in our starting positions and hearing the sound of 200 people buzzing into the theatre.
*
Later, we'll sit down together and talk about how to carry on improving the show (which bits need more pace, which bits particularly worked, which bits might need altering) The point of a preview is to test a show, and we're pleased to have had the time to do that, and with such a supportive and constructive audience.
Let the tour begin.
TECH WEEK: Thurs
And suddenly, I've fallen behind on this blog! Although, perhaps it is an honest representation of a tech week...when all the focus and energy is on getting the show ready for the first performances, and everything else just has to take a back seat for the time being.
But, in the interests of documenting things properly, heres a catch up blog entry!
THURSDAY
We started a full tech run at about 10.30am, and got through it by about 5.00pm (Not bad!) This then gave us a bit of time to reset all the props to their starting positions, run through the choreography, warm up our voices, line-run a few tricksy areas...before doing a dress rehearsal in the evening.
The dress rehearsal wasn't as smooth as we'd perhaps have liked- but it was a relief to get a 'performance conditions run' in before Friday...it allowed us to get a handle on our character journeys again, and identify any weaker areas we might want to go through again before the first performance.
The show ran for much longer than we anticipated...we finished the show at 1 hour 45 minutes! Eek! It is likely to get quicker, and we may look into cutting a few sections.
We have notes up at the house- and its lovely to sit down with the whole team and have a celebratory glass of wine whilst we iron out a few niggles, and clear up some of the interactions. By the time we part company, the mood is optimistic and we're looking forward to the challenge of tomorrow...a sell out preview!
But its a lucky minority who are able to head off to bed...some of the team go back to the theatre to finish up a few last minute jobs here and there. Jon and Jake have some film to sort out (exporting a few altered clips and importing everything into the program we use to run the show), and Sophie to sort out a wig, and to grit the stage so its safe to dance on!
But, in the interests of documenting things properly, heres a catch up blog entry!
THURSDAY
We started a full tech run at about 10.30am, and got through it by about 5.00pm (Not bad!) This then gave us a bit of time to reset all the props to their starting positions, run through the choreography, warm up our voices, line-run a few tricksy areas...before doing a dress rehearsal in the evening.
Benj and Nix marking through choreography
The show ran for much longer than we anticipated...we finished the show at 1 hour 45 minutes! Eek! It is likely to get quicker, and we may look into cutting a few sections.
We have notes up at the house- and its lovely to sit down with the whole team and have a celebratory glass of wine whilst we iron out a few niggles, and clear up some of the interactions. By the time we part company, the mood is optimistic and we're looking forward to the challenge of tomorrow...a sell out preview!
But its a lucky minority who are able to head off to bed...some of the team go back to the theatre to finish up a few last minute jobs here and there. Jon and Jake have some film to sort out (exporting a few altered clips and importing everything into the program we use to run the show), and Sophie to sort out a wig, and to grit the stage so its safe to dance on!
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
TECH WEEK: Weds
Its 22.20pm...and we've just restarted our cue-by-cue tech rehearsal. We're about half our way through the script, so there's a fair whack to go. But despite that, morale is suprisingly high in the late night cube camp!
Its been a difficult day. Technical hitches monopolised things a little...but looks like its sorted now.
Everything else seems to be ticking along nicely- we had another session with Teej finessing things dance-wise, did many a line run, and the set continues to get better and better each time we come back upstairs to look at it.
We're sitting on the set and looking an impressive number of people on the long tech table....plus our stage manager crouching at the front! Lottie is writing up 'the book', which will be used for running the show.
Its been a difficult day. Technical hitches monopolised things a little...but looks like its sorted now.
Everything else seems to be ticking along nicely- we had another session with Teej finessing things dance-wise, did many a line run, and the set continues to get better and better each time we come back upstairs to look at it.
We're sitting on the set and looking an impressive number of people on the long tech table....plus our stage manager crouching at the front! Lottie is writing up 'the book', which will be used for running the show.
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
TECH WEEK: Tues
TUESDAY
Last night finished late- fish and chips in the theatre for most...and Jake worked all night on the editing which is looking brilliant this morning.
And after another day (they seem to be galloping past at an alarming rate!), the set feels like its coming on in leaps and bounds. Its really tying the style of the show together. Can't show an image for fear of spoiler!
There's been some costume fittings...jigsawing (not the rainy day kind)...a birthday cake for one lovely individual...running through most of the scenes...props delivered...dance and singing practice...microphone testing...lighting states designed...and the trial of a very exciting lighting special! See below!
the special (above) ; the clue (below)
Monday, 7 January 2013
TECH WEEK: Monday
And tech week is off with a bang. This week we'll be posting a running day by day account as we get closer and closer to our first preview performance on friday night...so keep checking back as the week unfolds!
MONDAY So many exciting developments. Set painting...props making...film editing...line running...a technical upset hopefully remedied after lots of technical phonecalls to various experts...lights...and the odd bit of acting. And lots of behind the scenes admin getting the shows publicised and making sure everything is in place for the tour starting next month: things like marketing, getting a new wheel on the trailer, and other glamorous tasks like making sure we have contracts in place with our venues! It was an early morning, and its going to be a late night! Theres a very exciting buzz about the whole building, and it feels so great to have all the team under the same roof all at the same time. A really good day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)