can print a whole two pages on the situation in the Middle East in 33 AD once mentioning the Jamahiriyah, the Grent Libyan Arab Revolution of Muammar al-Gaddali or the treacherous roic of Stalimom in pre-Christian Palestine. (Readers are referred to the 47 part series by Jack Gule for the true picture). Doubtless revisionist playhos T.All's political mentors at the Financial Times will display their usual enthusiasm for thi latest anti-Trotskyist political buffoonery, Tomorrow - Sylvia Frankin and Winnie the Pooh: the Unanswered Questions ING THE FOLLOWING resolution was passed by the National ABOUT NINE months ago 'Pirate Jenny Theatre' company started discussions with Dave Edgar on a format for a play on racism. It was to be a play which starled from where Destiny left off. We were at the time an all-white company so we felt strongly that we wanted to deal with racism as 'our' problem, not simply put on a play with analysis. Also as a company with a feminist orientation, we saw the obvious parallels between sexist and racism and wanted to think of ways of linking them, Would it, for example, be politically and dramatically more interesting to explore the racist attitude of a white working class womun towards ber Asian sisters working and living alongside ber? Hou could take up the extraordinary fact that Asian women tradirionally the most oppressed section of any ethnic Committee of the International Marxist Group:
The IMO, British section of the Fourth International, take critical note of the failure of the enge to produce an unreadable *The expanding rendership of what has mistakenly become a popular political newspaper is entirely out of sep corjunctural need to build a cadre organisation of leftward moving cements who have broken with Labourism, rejectod centrist illusions (see autumn perspectives document: Our Winter of Discontent'), and are fully conversant with new mass vanguard developments in the Therian peninsula "This is most clearly defined by the so-called Xmas spocial Scarcely any of the contributtons concern key political issues, and none has the merit of mobilising the hase for the mass pickets thar are now vital. group living in this country. Have boen so often Teading imporlant industrial struggles Imperial Typewriters and Grunwick to one but 14b.
In Our Own People, David Edgar manages to deal with these problems compassionate insight into humanity al its most corrup and vulnerable. And yet b doesn't allow his audience to Lose sight of a biting political analysis which allows neither them nor the characters off the hook.
The format of the play is an Industrial Enquiry into a strike Yorkshire mill ASiaD workers at La strike in which the Asiams are out, but the whites remained at work (whitelegs"). In the first half of the play Edgar makes "theatrical" concessions to bis audience. We are in a cour Toom, We muit listen carefull to the case for the Asinns, put over in the best radical lawyer Trains, a all cos not al tradition Ms Watts. ber case with 'unnecessary" political teferences. The lawversfor the management and the Socialist Chullenge has- jusi produood a 24 page Christmas unions appear oqually enger to ingoore the growing racial cleavage in the factory itself.
Within half an hour bi listening to the case, thc courtroom starts to erupt. The audience are plunged into a plor traught with allegations of manipulation, racism and exploitation.
All socialists should try and see the play. More importanriy They should attempt persuade non-socialists to do so as well, All too often political tbeatre groups get from their fellow radicals what amounts to the same treatinent one is used to from bourgeois critics: theatrical 'critique of a play is an isolated "thing', written, performed and over. There is rarely any real attempt to use the work done by these groups as a stepping scone to the daily work of socialists in the area.
We in Pirate Jenny have an play on the most important problem facing all of us 30 Britain today: racis and the rise of fascism. Criticise us by all means, BUT USE US.
We are touring England and Scullund antil March, Farther information from Pirate Jenny: 01-969-22H2 Issue — Press Association:
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