Production Synopsis: One night a stranger knocks on the door of a survivor of torture and her human rights lawyer husband. She recognises the stranger's voice. Convinced he is the perpetrator of her violation, she proceeds to force a confession…
Ariel Dorfman is a Chilean author and playwright. Death and the Maiden was written in 1990, the year that Chile finally returned to democracy, its people coming to terms with the aftermath of Pinochet's dictatorship.
The themes at the heart of the play exist at the intersection of trauma, guilt, innocence, morality and forgiveness. It asks us all the same questions: Where does our personal moral code sit? What would we do if faced with this very situation?
A message from the Creative Team:
"The reason why we wanted to produce and perform this play now is precisely because the threat of the far right, and autocratic leadership and dictatorships are still with us. We who care about fighting injustice and who are concerned about the polarisation of political ideology, need to heed warnings from the past and be aware that the threat of the far right is here and now, not something that happened in the past or ‘over there’. One of the ways of fighting back is to produce relevant political theatre as a provocation to help audiences understand and reflect on some big questions. This play is still resonant with today. Individuals and nations are divided and polarised, the recent European elections and the national political landscape in the UK, show us how divided we are. This play asks powerful questions about our personal moral codes in the pursuit of justice and forgiveness and how (or if) we can be reconciled, personally and politically, after such violent and repressive division.”
A message of support from Alan Gibbon, Author and Secretary, Liverpool Walton Constituency Labour Party.
"The economic and political crisis ushered in by the global banking crisis of 2007-8 sent a shudder through democratic and socialist circles as far right parties grew and even entered governments in Hungary, Italy and Austria and ‘populist’ movements made strides everywhere. Here in the UK we have seen large protests in support of ‘Tommy Robinson’, often leading to violence. Everywhere, there is the shadow of President Trump’s brash and unashamed promotion of a right populist agenda and the influence of men like Steve Bannon and the alt-right websites. We live in dangerous times and in an era like this, big ideas, ideas about what it is to be human, are precious. That is why Dorfman’s work matters.”
Your donations will enable the production company to fund:
Set, lighting and sound design skills and costs
Promotion costs, printing etc
Performance rights
Venue hire
Rehearsal Space
A living wage for 7-9 independent freelance creatives including, the actors, director and creative team
Creative Team:
Presented by EB Productions
Directed by Margaret Connell, Performed by Emma Bird (further cast to be announced) Set design: Lisa Jones. Lighting design: Peter Mitchelson. Music and Sound design: Max Wilson. Producer: Siobhan Noble
Production Dates:
Sept 11th-14th 2019
Where:
The Hope Street Theatre,
22 Hope St, Liverpool L1 9BY
Ticket price:
£12 / £10 conc
Age: 16+
Ticket link: http://hopestreettheatre.com/whats-on/