Tunisian Theatre Group to Visit Newcastle
12 July 2012
The French-Tunisian Artistes Producteurs Associés theatre group are to perform their unique adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s greatest works at Northern Stage, Newcastle between the 12th-14th July. The three performances of Macbeth: Leila and Ben – A Bloody History are to open with a reception on the 12th July hosted by Eunice Crook, Director of the British Council, Tunisia. The British Council, the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, has partnered with Northern Stage as part of the London 2012 festival, the biggest celebration of the UK Cultural Olympiad.
The production marks a groundbreaking exploration of recent events in Tunisia and across the Arab world by a new generation of Tunisian artists. Artistes Producteurs Associés look to Shakespeare’s Macbeth for a unique perspective on the Arab Spring, and reinforce the relevance of Shakespeare to current events and audiences through the inclusion of modern multimedia, such as television reportage. By portraying Tunisia’s deposed dictator Zine El Abadine Ben Ali and his wife Leila as North African equivalents of the play’s central characters, Cathy Gomez of the British Council states that the theatre group underline “how Shakespeare is continuing to inspire artists to explore the shifts in the world around us today and what it means to be human in the midst of political upheaval”.
"Some of the parallels between the two stories are astonishing," states the show’s director Lotfi Achour, "the repression of a rebellion during which the former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Macbeth use their positions to promote themselves; the betrayal of the established leaders; the couple who revel in crime and cut themselves off from the rest of the world; paranoia, witchcraft, irrationality. All these themes reflect the life and reign of Ben Ali."
The event also highlights the commitment to mutual benefit and exchange which has been at the heart of the British Council’s arts work in Tunisia. The Royal Shakespeare Company and the British Council have been working alongside Artistes Producteurs Associés for several years, after the drama company caught the attention of Mark Ball (Director, London International Festival of Theatre), Eunice Crook and Deborah Shaw (Associate Director, RSC) in 2009. The theatre group were subsequently invited to perform at the biennial London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT) in 2010. Artistes Producteurs Associés have since received continued support from the British Council as part of their commitment to the development of young international artists, an integral part of inspiring cultural relations through the arts.
“The idea of a Tunisian production for London in 2012 pre-dates the Tunisian revolution,” writes Eunice Crook, “I remember a conversation with the director Lotfi Achour before the departure of Ben Ali when I suggested that Measure for Measure might be the most appropriate choice. But after the revolution there was only one choice.
What role did Leila Ben Ali play in her husband’s rule and subsequent dictatorship? Does she show any remorse for the afflictions she wrought on the people of Tunisia? This production is a timely opportunity to reflect on issues of power and its abuse, showing once again how Shakespeare’s themes continue to have relevance in the modern world.”
The performances at LIFT and Northern Stage are part of the World Shakespeare Festival (WSF), which has been a great success in exploring Shakespeare’s global influence, sharing new views of his work from artists working in extraordinarily diverse cultural contexts. Following the success of ‘Globe to Globe’, the festival of thirty-seven Shakespeare plays in thirty-seven languages, the WSF now looks forward to the ‘Worlds Together’ teachers conference in early September at the Tate Modern, as well as the connection of 1500 students from the UK, India, South Africa, Oman, the USA, Hong Kong, Brazil and the Czech Republic through the Shakespeare: A Worldwide Classroom initiative.
