EIF: Cutting the Tightrope @ Church Hill Theatre

Cutting the Tightrope is a collection of short plays from a variety of writers and directors, each responding to Arts Council England guidelines which effectively censor mention of Palestine. The title alone is brilliant, referring to the tightrope which artists must walk to retain freedom from fear at the cost of freedom of expression. Interspersed throughout the show are discussions on the deliberate underreporting of genocides, and the ways powerful people police and gatekeep opinion.

More than this, the writers cover so much ground topically, thematically and formally, that Cutting the Tightrope feels like a tornado of creativity. Many pieces demolish the idea that overtly political theatre is somehow a lesser form; in particular Dare Not Speak, in which someone accuses a true-life story of being too 'on-the-nose' for theatre (yet another standard we've inherited from the OG arse-coverer, Shakespeare). Tiptoeing so close to reality in the scenes, we end with a discussion panel of experts and survivors, which loses none of the cumulative power of the fictional scenes – so much for 'reality is too on-the-nose'.

By rights, this show should have five stars, but lighting issues led to avoidable mistakes in stage coverage, leaving actors unlit on a number of occasions. But when lit, the actors are all excellent: Sara Masry conveys the solid front and broken centre so rarely achieved in live performance; Ruth Lass is clever, cool and feisty at once; Issam Al Ghussain is a taut spring of energy. They all explode out of their characters, making for a complementary range of personalities with the appeal of a rainbow and the power of diversity. 

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Cutting the Tightrope, Church Hill Theatre, run ended