Two Degrees
Are you sitting comfortably?/ Revolutions
Artsadmin
In the context of ArtsAdmin’s Two Degrees Festival, White Rabbit’s monthly evening of storytelling becomes a breeding ground of revolutions, from the personal to the global, the domestic to the canine. Taking its inspiration from an 18th century literary salon, twisted into a mad hatters tea-party meets Brixton Riots, this evening of storytelling might not bring out the hell-raisers, but maps out a heap of literary talent hidden amongst the candle-lit tables.
Sex Pistols and Che Guevara take equal stance in the evening, amongst masks of David Cameron and Thatcher, but there is certainly less anarchy than revolution. From Afsaneh Gray’s The Dig, an eerie and powerful recollecton, to Rachel Jay’s My Revolution, about a woman inspired by the Arab Spring to carry her own domestic revolution, the range of works during the evening is an intriguing literary interpretation of the nuances of the theme of revolution.
There’s an interesting mix of humour and nostalgia, particularly manifested in stories such as Bernadette Russel’s own No Ether, about the life of a punk, or Bahar Bruton’s Baggage, about a bag with a surprising content. Sometimes, these stories veer towards stereotyping, without leaving room to develop their ideas- this is unfortunate when the very theme of the event invites risk-taking, angry and loud storytelling.
The evening is however packed with hidden delights and games, which means you’re never just a listener, and has a lot stories on offer too. If Revolutions doesn’t always meet its subject directly, it is certainly a literary feast, travelling through individual and collectives stories performed with candour and character.
Tagged: ArtsAdmin, Two Degrees, White Rabbit