We sat down with Cressida Brown, director of Cutting the Tightrope: The Divorce of Politics from Art that’s currently at Arcola Theatre until 7th December. We recently reviewed the production awarding it a well deserved 4 stars.

What inspired you to create Cutting the Tightrope, and why do you think it’s particularly relevant now?

UK censorship over Palestine inspired me. Having always believed in the power of stories to change lives, I was amazed by theatre’s silence as an industry and profoundly disturbed by the cancelling of events linked to Palestine in high profile arts settings. By the time the Arts Council started to warn that ‘political statements’ made by individuals could cause ‘reputational risk’ and therefore ‘breach funding agreements’ I knew that I had to respond in some way – and that there were many more who felt the same. Who gets to deem what is political? How can you ask artists to remain politically neutral? All voices of dissent now – and in the future – are under threat. Now is the time to respond; to stand up and be counted. It is now or never.  

How do you navigate the challenges of producing politically charged theatre in today’s climate?

I think you have to have a fairly kamikaze spirit at the moment if you are going to be making political theatre. There are real fears – and realities – of being blacklisted, and the work being received aggressively. Ironically, it is this threat that makes the work feel so important and ensures the necessity of our speaking out. After so long directing political theatre, there has never been a show that has felt so meaningful and most likely to make an impact. I feel this so much, that I am willing for it to be my last.

Why did you choose to keep the playwrights’ specific contributions anonymous, and how has that impacted their creative freedom?

This was done foremostly to shield playwrights from any backlash they might receive – especially online. This is the horrific world we live in now!  It allowed them to express themselves with less fear. It was also partly a signal to the Arts Council, that this is how unsafe artists feel right now. As an instance of this, there is survey that has been sent out by the Writer’s Guild asking playwrights how much they feel their being commissioned or funded depends on their political views; and how much they censor themselves because of it. It is felt enough for data to be collected by their union.

What message do you hope audiences take away from this series about censorship and artistic expression?

I want people to know that this creeping repression of freedom of expression is something that effects all of us – not just the arts, whatever strata of society you come from. And not just if you have been vocal about Palestine. This insistence on ‘political neutrality’ – and who gets to deem what is political and what is not – is very dangerous for all of us in a world literally on fire with the climate emergency, the rise of the far right globally, and a governmental commitment to defence budgets growing. Voices of dissent are being stifled, and without dissent society cannot function, cannot imagine, differently.

How significant is the Arcola Theatre’s decision to host this work, given the current climate of political caution in the arts?

The Arcola have been heroic from the outset with their bravery programming the work, and they are an example to the rest of the industry who have largely remained silent. And in the future, they can hold their heads high. This has not only been with Cutting the Tightrope but also with hosting the extraordinary White Kite Collective, who since the end of last year have been performing the first-hand accounts of those in Gaza, as well as Palestinian music and poetry. All stories that are actively being suppressed or denied right now.

What are your hopes for the future of politically engaged theatre, and how can the industry better support diverse voices?

Bleak. I’m sorry but it’s true. This last year has really highlighted that it is only certain stories that get amplified, and all the lip service to diversity is just that. No one, it seems has learned anything from the biggest story of all: history.  I think the people in charge kid themselves that they are ultimately making the choices for the greater good. So that they continue to stage stories that might inspire change through metaphor rather than speaking out. The systems in place rely on indifference/silence and people being made to believe that simple social justice issues are too complicated to broach. Theatre will die an even quicker death without those in charge growing a stronger backbone.

CUTTING THE TIGHTROPE: THE DIVORCE OF POLITICS FROM ARTis on at the Arcola Theatre, London from26th November – 7th December 2024