Limits of theatre explored

SYDNEY — You passionately committed to a political cause. You have been given $30,000 to help you bring about political change. What do you do with it? Fund a demonstration? Design a web site? Hire a lobbyist? Bribe a politician? Buy guns? Or do you create a piece of theatre?

This is the dilemma tackled by Urban Theatre Projects' latest show, Manufacturing Dissent. The performance explores the limits and possibilities of theatre as a means of making political change.

In Manufacturing Dissent, a group of artists are making a show about refugees and immigration policy. They want to counter the fear-mongering about "illegal immigrants" and "queue jumpers", and the drift to a new White Australia Policy.

They try agitprop, melodrama, satire, comedy and postmodern performance. They revisit Mayakovsky's revolutionary poetics, Brecht's realism, 1960s' group theatre, 1930s' workers' theatre.

Do they get their ideas across? Find out when Manufacturing Dissent plays at Redfern's Performance Space from November 30 to December 10. Book on 9698 7235 or visit <http://www.urbantheatre.com.au>.

From GLW issue 428