Cressida Brown Interview

December 4, 2024

Cressida Brown Interview

This week, Maggie John of Green Room Reviews interviewed Cressida Brown – Director of Cutting the Tightrope – a series of political censorship plays. Cutting the Tightrope is running at The Arcola Theatre until 7th December 2024.

Q. Why is theatre such a powerful medium through which to tell provocative and socially driven stories?

A. I think this question is best answered by describing one of our plays. 46 Women Attempt A Question is about Diane Abbott standing 46 times in parliament without being called to speak by the Speaker, even though they were discussing a man who had made a grotesque racist comment about her and other black women. During the play women in our audience stand up amongst us and read a total of 46 lines projected on to screen in front of us before sitting down. It’s an incredibly moving and stunning piece as we watch these women being given the voice and questions that Diane was robbed of. Can film do this? (Just as a postscript, Diane Abbott actually came to see the show last week which really made for iconic theatre!)

Q. What are the consequences of political censorship in theatre and how much damage can they do?

A. The consequences are extremely dangerous for all of us. The active and historical suppression of Palestinian voices, stories and perspectives is a threat to each and every one of us. Everything in our lives is political whether we like it or not. If only certain opinions or voices are heard, we are denied an opportunity to exercise our imaginations and to think things differently. And with a world literally on fire with the climate emergency, the far right growing, and defence budgets soaring globally, we desperately need to be reshaping the way we think and live our lives.

Q. Why is the Arcola Theatre’s stance so important and how do you hope it will encourage other theatres?

A. The Arcola are brave pioneers and have been supportive of work advocating for Palestinian rights since the beginning of the genocide by inviting the White Kite Collective to present testimonies from Gaza and then Cutting the Tightrope. The fact I have to be praising a theatre for being anti-genocide, anti-racist, and pro-human rights is beyond depressing and a damning inditement of where we are in the world. We have sold out and had standing ovations pretty much every night. There is a demand for this work. I hope the theatres that have remained silent – all of them apart from 3! – see this and understand the tide is turning. Soon they will all have to reckon with their own silence.

Q. What is the significance of events such as Cutting the Tightrope which gives contributors a voice without fear of personal rebuttal?

A. I wish we didn’t have to keep who wrote what piece secret. But there is a real fear of blacklisting and artists have been told by agents, production companies, and theatre that they must not post online about Palestine. So, our artists have to be anonymous now in order to be overtly political. I just want that to sink in. Here, in the UK, in this supposed democracy

Q. Following a hugely successful run earlier in the year, Cutting the Tightrope is returning to the Arcola Theatre for the second time. How does this speak to the demand for this type of theatre?

A. Without Arts Council funding we have had very little marketing and yet we have sold out due to word of mouth. And it’s not just this type of theatre there is a demand for. We have had extraordinary panellists take part every single night on post-theatre panel discussions: from Andrew Feinstein to Ben Jamal, from Ahmed Masoud to Haim Breseeth. There is a demand for us to come together as a collective in a safe and imaginative forum to share ideas, struggles and ways forward.

Q. Following the example of Cutting the Tightrope and the Arcola Theatre, how would you like other theatres and the Arts Council to respond?

A. By elevating Palestinian voices. And understanding that the stories we choose to share and believe in shape the reality around us.