“Spectacular” - An act of terror that was of no military effect, but provided a large media spectacle.
THE SPECTACULAR follows Jake and Naomi, two Republican “activists” from Dublin as they interrogate Britain's colonial legacy in Ireland, whilst being guided by the mysterious voice of their Commanding Officer. Using the audience as a kind of absurd focus group, they test out spectaculars, confronting the spectators with questions around what nationalism means in a contemporary society: Is its natural endpoint always a violent conservatism that initially masquerades as a faux-liberation ideology? Can political violence ever be effective? The audience witnesses tensions rise between Jake and Naomi as they explore these ideas, but how does that affect their chances of getting out of the theatre when things become increasingly extreme and absurd?
THE SPECTACULAR interrogates the lack of compulsory education around British colonialism in the UK curriculum. It also highlights the uncomfortable parallels between both British people and Irish southerners' lack of understanding around England's long involvement in Ireland.
Supported by Arts Council England and Camden People's Theatre.
Cast
Naomi - Sinéad May Keegan
Jake - Jack Hassett
Voice - Donagh Ó Ruadháin
Crew
Writer/Director - Seán Butler
Lighting Designer - Jodi Rabinowitz
Composer/Sound Designer - Łoter
Technical Stage Manager - Josh Bradley
Consulting Producer - Jess Donn
"CPT is the first place we turn to when we have a new idea, knowing that experimentation and new ideas are always supported."
Sh!t Theatre
