Bold, confronting and performed with sincerity and skill, Cutting the Tightrope is a rebellious collection of short political plays that packs a serious punch.
In January 2024, Arts Council England (ACE) released updates to their guidelines, warning that organisations and artists making “overtly political or activist” statements could breach funding agreements. In a rapid and defiant response, Cutting The Tightrope was commissioned: 11 short plays focussed on censorship, political resistance, and the role of arts in an era of global oppression.
Originally staged at London’s Arcola Theatre, the themes it explores have only become more pertinent and pressing in the intervening year. The playwrights are listed in the programme, but the specific play each penned remains anonymous: a decision made to encourage freedom of expression without fear of reprisal.
The urgency of this production is palpable: hard-hitting, heartfelt and thought-provoking. Each of the plays has its own style and point of view, from the satirical “Watermelon” and “Dare Not Speak” to the call-to-arms that is “Burger and Chips”. Many of the plays centre the situation in Palestine, but other examples of oppression are woven in and echoed, from a dictatorial near-future to the failure of cultural institutions to take a stand. Each of the plays is given context and weight by projected text, from explaining the ACE furore to the names of all of the hospitals that have so far been bombed in Gaza.
Certain of the plays really stand out, hitting on something that is particularly relatable or resonant. In “Conversation I’m Not In”, a young woman meets her boyfriend’s parents, but is expected not to speak about topics they find uncomfortable, leaving them with nothing they can talk about (even discussions of the weather leads to climate change). The cleverly constructed piece examines how those with political opinions can be silenced, or forced into self-censorship for others’ comfort.
“Empathy is Blind” takes Dating in the Dark to the next level, with a beautiful relationship developing between the pair before the woman suddenly disappears. Having spoken about her homeland, which you assume to be Palestine, in her last appearance the woman reveals she is from Sudan. Thoughtful and confronting, it brings home the apparent invisibility of the Sudanese genocide, described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis—with 150,000 killed and 25 million facing extreme hunger—yet barely registering in Western media.
The “Florist of Rafah” is a heartrendingly beautiful piece of writing, delicately performed and skillfully staged. Its protagonist, an endearing flower seller, is living in a refugee camp and dreaming of being reunited with his missing child. The blend of desperation and hope is incredibly moving, and there could not have been a dry eye in the house.
Cutting The Tightrope is an exceptional night of political theatre, one that galvanises and demands that the audience not only witness, but engage. There is a Q&A after each performance, with guest speakers to discuss the subjects addressed, and to unpack both what we have seen and what we can do next. It can be uncomfortable and challenging to see these stories, but it is absolutely vital. It is the role of art to hold a mirror up to society, and in these torrid times we must not look away.
By Deborah Klayman
Cutting the Tightrope plays at the Church Hill Theatre, Edinburgh until 17th August 2025.
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