St. Mungos: Homeless Matters "A Play for our Times".
A new National Theatre production has just opened at The Shed on the South Bank (16 Dec to 11 Jan). Called Protest Song, it is written by Tim Price and stars Rhys Ifans. Gordon Chaston is a member of St Mungo’s client representative group, Outside In, and also a member of Occupy, the protest movement which features in the play. Read Gordon’s review.
The production and staging, though very simple, evoked very quickly a journey of one homeless man, Danny, immaculately played by Rhys Ifans. The simple tale of a homeless individual, struggling to engage with his support worker, and maintain a semblance of normality, is one which many rough sleepers experience.
The play starts with Danny begging, trying to raise money for hostel accommodation for the evening. He engages brilliantly with the audience, eliciting sympathy as he begs for money amongst them. His life soon unravels with the introduction of the site that Occupy set up around St Paul’s at the time of the banking crisis. Very quickly Danny finds himself embroiled in issues that at first he seems ill equipped to deal with.
Soon he finds himself on a rollercoaster ride not of his making. At first Danny sees the introduction of the protest site at St Paul’s and his interaction with the characters as a side show, disturbing a very chaotic life of rough sleeping and alcoholism, one to be exploited and derided.
Very soon it becomes apparent that the treatment Danny receives from the protesters – kindness and acceptance – gives rise to a big shift in Danny’s normal routine of drinking, begging, and the disconnect he feels from society as a whole.
Very quickly he finds himself seeking out certain members of the group and contributing to the daily routine. He finds a place for himself within the kitchen, which also triggers a retrospective look at his life and how he lost his wife and child, bringing up deep feelings which Danny had buried for many years. He starts to contribute in the kitchen and discovers new meaning to his life.
Though Danny at first doesn’t fully understand the political implications, he seems to relate to it on a personal level, giving voice to his anger, pain and frustration, both about his life and the wider political situation.
Rhys Ifans’ portrait of Danny is both moving and powerful, making it a riveting play, also beautifully written and directed. Not only would I recommend it to people with an interest in the issues of rough sleeping and the politics of Occupy but to a wider audience. It is a very moving and thought provoking play. Danny’s use of the audience is both clever and brings much humour and humanity to the play.
From start to finish I was engaged and enthralled, caught up in the events of that winter when Occupy took the site at St Paul’s. Definitely a play to go and see as it raises issues that are both relevant today and important to explore, in this current harsh climate of cuts and austerity. As well as being thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable. I would be pleased to see it go on general release to reach a much wider audience, as it raises issues and is a brilliant piece of theatre. Definitely a play for our times.
By Dipika Kulkarni
December 20, 2013
