Dear Europe @ SWG3, Glasgow

In Dear Europe, the many and varied aspects of Scotland's relationship with Europe are catalogued on one night in Glasgow's SWG3

Review by Carla Jenkins | 08 Apr 2019

Dear Europe. We're sorry. Can you forgive us? 

The National Theatre of Scotland’s one-off performance, Dear Europe tries to pose and answer. Hosted by Garry McNair, six artists present work reflecting their response to Europe, the countries within, and the prospect of disentangling lives and histories from those countries. Every element is intensely planned: the industrial setting of SWG3 means that one is never entirely comfortable. Our senses are challenged and, at times, so is our tolerance. The only caveat is that, like Brexit, Dear Europe goes on slightly too long. Three hours in, and four out of the six performances, we admit defeat (more fool us). Save from that, it would be insulting to suggest that similarities continued.

Wearing flippers and a pirate hat,Tam Dean Burn ponders the fate of Scotland’s salmon farms in Aquaculture FlagshipwreckCombining poetry by Tom Leonard with live caricaturing and music, the audience throw scrunched-up pages of the Financial Times at a flying salmon and dance about the death of the sea. We're invited to remember the fish that couldn’t swim, and as that sinks in, so does the salmon. Burn’s question of the night is “Why can’t politicians be more like artists?” – it's one that's left still unanswerable. 

In Nic Green and Ruairí Ó Donnabháin’s d’tüs maith is leath na h’oibre (a good start is half the work), Louise Ahl and Ó Donnabháin move and balance on two splintered chairs. Exploring the interdependence and connectivity of the border between Ireland and Britain, it's clear that however much they were a hindrance to each other, both relied heavily on one another to stay upright. 

Heads swivel watching moving through shadows, a three-screen documentary by Nima Séne and Daniel Hughes featuring Ifi Ude. Depicting the parallels between race, identity and geography in Poland, Scotland and Europe, it closes with a haunting performance of Warszawo Ma from Ude.

Leonie Rae Gasson’s Death Becomes Us is an utter delight. Wearing headphones and blindfolds, the adage ‘see no evil, hear no evil’ is turned on its head. It’s staggering realising how internalised the voices of politicians have become. Our senses return, the relationship between controlling borders and policing bodies become apparent as the twelve living stars of Europe (living migrant women) parade between the isles, presided by the regal Beldina Odenyo (aka Heir of the Cursed), becoming one with the audience. 


Dear Europe @ SWG3, Glasgow, run ended
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