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Protest

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh 

Four stars


Once upon a time, there were three little girls who never dreamt for a minute they could change the world. By applying their passions to everyday endeavours, however, they end up making a difference, finding their voices en route. So it goes for Alice, Jade and Chloe in Hannah Lavery’s play for young people, in which assorted rites of passage and resistance puts the trio at the centre of grassroots activism.

 

All lined up against the brightly coloured wonders of designer Amy Jane Cook’s Paolozzi style adventure playground set, the trio take it in turns to tell their stories. As their criss-crossing narratives connect, they find common ground and strength in numbers enough to stand up for themselves and their assorted causes.

 

For Alice it’s being able to run races as an equal. Jade has to square up to racist bullying in the classroom. And Chloe has a small thing of an environmental crisis to deal with. Together, it seems, they can make everything better for the future.

As played by Kirsty MacLaren as Alice, Harmony Rose-Bremner as Jade and Amy Murphy as Chloe, Hannah Lavery’s play for 8-13-year-olds is a bright burst of energy designed to rouse young hearts and minds into action. Brought to life by director Natalie Ibu, Protest is literally a call to arms, albeit utilising weapons of happiness rather than warfare. Such a family friendly manifesto for change is something the girls’ elders might want to take a look at.

 

This hour-long show is co-produced by the Fuel organisation, the Imaginate festival, and Newcastle’s Northern Stage company in association with the National Theatre of Scotland, and was originally seen in 2023. As the young audience is encouraged to take a placard and rise up for themselves, there is much to be praised here from such a refreshing approach in a show that is as idealistic as its characters, and just as hopeful.


The Herald, January 29th 2024

 

ends

 

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