What's On
When Do We Start Fighting?
3rd February 2009 to 1st March 2009 - 8pm Tues - Sun
Price: £15, £10 conc, /Pay what you can on Sundays (door sales only)
Venue: Main House
Company: The Kamichi Plan
Writer: Charlie Shand
Director: Charlie Shand
Cast: Kelsey Cameron, Rebecca Killick, Matthew Judd, Kieranjit Gumtali, Michael Morrison, Fingal McKiernan, Amanda McLaren, Lucy Wallace
1969. The promise of the sixties turns to the confusion of the early seventies, and the Weatherman organisation gathers... Their primary aim: To violently overthrow the American government. However, after their first major street-action, ‘The Days Of Rage', FBI investigation forces them underground, into a period of organisational chaos which accumulates with a New-York based collective accidently detonating a bomb, killing three members of the cell. When Do We Start Fighting? Charts this period of ‘hyper-tension' between the feds and the radicals - how the groups hot-headed, revolutionary ideals manifest in a misguided orgy of bomb-making; whilst the FBI attempt of repression - leads to assassination.
For many, they were simply terrorists (Barack Obama's brief association with former Weathermen at a conference in the mid-nineties will have him branded a supporter of terrorism in a recent expose). For others, they were the embodiment of hot-headed and misguided youth - naïve, at best. For a few, they were heroes - middle class white kids who were prepared to risk their privileged lives in support of the rights of African Americans and the people of South East Asia. Surviving members are keen to point out that they were ultimately patriots; it was they who were fighting terrorism - the State terrorism more commonly known as The Vietnam War.
"Shand keeps hold of your attention with bold theatricality, his own insidious sound design and Nicola Smith's lighting. He is excellently served by a cast who give bold, energised performances." British Theatre Guide
"A sweeping, heartbreaking epic waiting to be uncovered." Remote Goat
"Writer-director Charlie Shand has has crafted a show with real depth, demonstrating extremely thorough research and genuine passion for the subject." Dominic De Nazza
"This production has something to say about the relative apathy of society today - particularly the younger generation - at a time of war, compared to the revolutionary-minded students of the sixties and seventies." The Stage
"These passionate young actors put everything into their cry." Totally Theatre
"Complex yet coherent, maintaining the interest in, and tension between, its several cells of action, this enterprising piece from theatre company The Kamichi Plan well-deserves its renewed lifespan." Reviews Gate
For more information please visit: http://www.wdwsf.co.uk/
