Voices from the Edge - 5 February 2009

“Voices from the edge” features the testimonies of people who are on the edge of society because of issues which others often wish to ignore, such as the problems of older people, women experiencing violence, lack of affordable housing, fuel poverty, street homelessness, unemployment, asylum destitution, debt, rural poverty, and disability. The actors are there to bear witness to the experience of those who cannot be present themselves.

There are eight major characters, six of whom speak individually and two in dialogue. Four other voices are used for brief interjections in the characters’ development, mostly unsympathetic ‘authority’ figures. They also feature in two sections citing statistics relating to poverty.

Fortunately for the event at Carrs Lane, the uncertain weather did not prevent a good audience attendance or the presence of the actors as arranged (so that Jo did not have to implement Plan B, involving Carrs Laners!!)

Four actors took part, each reading two of the major characters and one of the other four voices. The intention of the piece is that the cast generally remain seated, so that the energy and dynamism of the drama come largely from the way the script is delivered. Neither reading a script before an audience nor coping effectively with lengthy and thoughtful monologues is necessarily easy, but I was impressed with the way the actors acquitted themselves. A variety of chairs was used to differentiate the main characters as they returned to continue their stories.

The purpose of the piece is to raise awareness of the issues highlighted in an engaging way, and, although all the detail of the script will not have been taken in by the audience as they listened, relevant literature was made available and a retiring collection was taken for Church Action on Poverty.

Among the thoughts which remain in my mind are feelings of helplessness, loss of dignity, and not being allowed to live a normal life; also, several ways in which a positive attitude can be achieved under such difficult circumstances, including a desire to be able to go on to help others.

The script ends with an expression of appreciation for all the volunteers who help the homeless in practical ways, thus restoring their faith in society. I should like to conclude by thanking the Carrs Lane Community for hosting this event and the representatives from Actors for Human Rights for making it such a worthwhile evening.

To find out more about Voices from the Edge or to get a copy of the script visit: http://www.actionweek.org.uk/html/home.html