End of the first week

13th February 2012. Monday

So here I am at the start of another week. Last week was amazing – we worked through the first half of the play, and set several poems, including Skipping Without Ropes. Strangely, this the most famous of Jack’s poems was not included in the book; when I asked Jack if I could use it anyway, his response was “yes, by all means include Skipping without ropes in your performance. It was edited out by some unknown editor of the memoir” … so it’s in. And looking really great – I think it will be a highlight of the show.

On Friday we went into Chichiri prison where Nanzikambe Arts run a regular workshop with 20 young prisoners. It was exciting, fascinating and exhausting in equal measure. The Nanzikambe company performed a scene from And Crocodiles are Hungry at Night, and then the prisoners improvised scenes showing the first night in prison as they experienced it. There was no holding back – they showed how the ‘new boys’ are fought over for sexual favours and the potential wealth they may have. How the sleeping arrangements are appalling – there is no room to lie down, they sleep sitting up with their legs bent from lock up at 3.30pm till they are let out at around 8am the next morning. They showed how they use smuggled marijuana to get through the days. However, in spite of the terrible conditions, these young men were so energetic, open and straightforward. They performed with gusto and we finished with a traditional dance which we all joined in (even me!).

So now our actors have a better understanding of what it is like to be incarcerated. Let’s see what differences there are in rehearsals.