GOOD to see there are still pockets of Blair's Britain where Old Labour values remain. Someone must have forgotten to tell Theatre Workshop that socialism is technically a dirty word these days.
Jimmy C, as the
Edinburgh-born activist James Connolly was surely rarely known, is a community play dedicated to the spirit of the workers in the face of economic and political exploitation. Written by Robert Rae and performed by a cast of more than 50, it tells Connolly's story from Cowgate beginnings to organising unions in Scotland, Belfast, Dublin, and New York, and on to his death as a martyr of Ireland's 1916 uprising.
Community theatre has a natural affinity with this kind of material. To present so many people on stage is in itself a political act, a statement of social unity, and the collaborative act of theatre finds an easy parallel with the communal principles of socialism. The company's closing list of ''radical'' requests for our own times - an end to poverty, homelessness, and war; a return of love, peace, and understanding - is a simple reminder that left-wing
thought is neither dangerous
nor undesirable, and not out
of date either.
The abundance of actors also lends itself to the epic, the broad sweep of history, and the great movements of people, and it's true that Andy Mackie's generally well-paced production never gets bogged down in detail. On the other hand, the play is frustratingly short of background material that would explain Connolly's evangelistic passion. Played by Jerry Anderson and Declan Colgan, Connolly journeys through his life with undialectical ease. The result is a story ironically lacking in political fire.
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