There’s something slightly aggressive about the title of Lloyd Newson’s verbose dance/theatre piece, on at Barcelona’s Mercat de les Flors this weekend.
Like downloading 40 podcasts from BBC Radio 4’s Today news programme then listening to 10 minutes from the end of each, the acclaimed choreographer of award-winning ‘physical theatre’ troupe DV8 seeks to stimulate debate about freedom of speech and multiculturalism by using Islam as an example. The piece comprises of a list of unedited quotations by “leading religious, political and cultural figures” (Newson in Time Out Teatre), that are delivered to the audience while dancers dance.
Well-meaning?
Well … Lloyd Newson is not a journalist. Journalism, despite being in the top 5 of least desirable jobs, is the difficult art and craft of making a coherent point and sustaining it with use of factual information. The aim of journalism is that readers understand – and feel included in – the debate of complex issues.
Lloyd Newson makes theatre.
Well … The language of theatre is not the language of daily life or the verbal rhetoric of news programmes. It is a precise form of shorthand carefully edited to give every word resonance, even though ideas may be difficult. The aim of theatre is that the audience understands – and feels included in – the debate of complex issues.
See and hear Can We Talk About It?
At Mercat de Les Flors Saturday 5th May, 9pm
