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Nation

 
Alec Martin Review by Alec Martin 3 Published: 8 Aug 2024 Roundabout @ Summerhall Show Dates: 1 Aug 2024-26 Aug 2024

A nation, according to the political theorist and historian Benedict Arnold, is an imagined community. That’s exactly what’s on offer from Sam Ward as he takes the role of storyteller in YESYESNONO’s latest production. With a measured and engaging performance, and a well-balanced interplay with the audience, the theatre-maker constructs a community then shows how it can be torn apart by intolerance.

a solid piece of smartly constructed theatre with a strong central performance

Ward, as he tells us throughout the performance of Nation, is the storyteller and we are the audience. More than that, we are also the residents of a small, ordinary town—a sort of middle-class idyll with a local butcher, baker, and Pilates instructor, which begins to suffer odd events upon the arrival of a stranger. The mundane unity of the town is shattered as community cohesion fails, blame is apportioned, fear turns to hate, and bloodshed ensues.

With stripped-back staging, and only minimal but effective lighting and sound, the drama is constructed largely in the minds of the audience via simple, direct, and often repeated addresses from Ward. We are encouraged to imagine the scenes from the tale, from a retirement party to a political rally to a violent death. Are we imagining the same thing, though? The production poses, then answers the question in an unsettling way.

The current far-right rioting in towns and cities across England and Northern Ireland lends the story significant cultural weight, as over recent days we have seen blame, fear, and hate turn to violence. However, it also reveals a limitation of Nation, as reality has overtaken the story in a way which is more shocking than anything you’ll see onstage. The narrative we are drawn into, as engaging as it is, seems more simple and straightforward, and certainly less substantial by comparison.

Still, Nation remains an enjoyable experience, and even if the darkness promised by the narration is considerably less dark than the nightly news right now, there’s still a lot to be admired in the production. It’s a solid piece of smartly constructed theatre with a strong central performance.

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The Blurb:

'Here we all are... sat together in one room. One room. One audience. One… beautiful nation'. From the creator of We Were Promised Honey! and Five Encounters on a Site Called Craigslist comes a new experiment in storytelling. It’s the story of a nation. It’s the story of a theatre. It’s the story of an audience. Outside there are people trying to get in. And in the middle of the room… apparently a show is taking place. ‘YESYESNONO make shows that feel completely different to anybody else’ (Exeunt). Off West End Award finalist, 2022. Best Production, Total Theatre Award.