Cutting The Tightrope – Church Hill Theatre

This is a compelling, provocative and passionate piece of theatre about artistic freedom, censorship and political activism. You may love it, you may hate it, but you certainly won’t be bored.

Originally produced last year at London’s Arcola Theatre, this collection of short plays was written in response to a statement from Arts Council, England, in 2024, warning that artists making political statements either in their work or even on social media could be in breach of their funding agreements. Later it was revealed that the statement followed discussions with the British Government about artists speaking out about the Israel-Gaza war.

We know the names of the twelve playwrights but we don’t know who wrote each play. Although all the plays are making serious points, some of them are very funny, particularly in the first half of the evening. Satire features prominently including some almost Pythonesque moments, and there’s even some slapstick with a running joke about a man with a watermelon being chased around the theatre.

But other plays are very hard-hitting. There is some impassioned furious writing which makes you realise how little political theatre we see nowadays. Who remembers John McGrath’s 7.84 company? Their political plays such as ‘The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black Oil’ were very popular.

Many of the plays deal with recent events in Palestine. There is real anger about what is happening in Gaza (and the West Bank) and with the timidity of theatres and others even to discuss this.

From time to time throughout the play facts are flashed up on the back wall. There’s a mountain of information, sometimes difficult to absorb before the writing disappears. Israel does not allow foreign journalists into Gaza, and has killed more than 250 journalists living and working there. More than 17000 children have been killed. According to the UN, 67% of those killed have been women or children. More than 1500 health workers have been killed, and nearly all hospitals have been destroyed or damaged.

The British Government is slammed for its perceived complicity in what this production unambiguously calls a genocide. It passes on some of the information discovered by RAF spy planes flying over Gaza, and still sells weapons to Israel including parts for F-35 jets. Meanwhile the police have arrested more than 500 people in London for holding up cardboard placards declaring their support for ‘Palestine Action’.

Even the Edinburgh International Festival, which has funded and presented this production, is criticised because it accepts donations from a firm which invests in fossil fuels and arms including companies supplying weapons to Israel.

Act 1 ends with an outstanding monologue, passionately and brilliantly delivered. In a wide-ranging speech, she slams British imperialism before turning to Gaza where she condemns genocide and calls for a Free Palestine. She is immediately blacked out apparently before her speech ends and there is the sound of a gunshot. What a coup de théâtre!

Incidentally although there is a list of performers, we are not told the names of actors in each play, so I am unable to credit this wonderful actor or any of her colleagues.

In another play a different actor plays a woman from Gaza telling a theatre director about her real life experiences. She movingly describes the death of a family including a young girl. She is a writer now but the director declines to accept her play because it’s too political, too ‘on the nose’. Can’t she work in metaphors?

This actor also features in an amusing but thought-provoking play about a young woman whose boyfriend invites her to meet his parents over dinner. However even her occupation (she makes art about climate change) is controversial because the parents do not wish to think or talk about anything political. So when she mentions that she’s organised a fundraiser for medical aid for Palestine, and that the news from Gaza makes her cry, that causes consternation. The atmosphere becomes oppressive because almost any topic has political ramifications.

Another play is almost a poem, inspired by the fact that Diane Abbott stood up 46 times in the House of Commons to try to ask questions at PMQs about a Tory donor who said that looking at Abbott made him want to hate all black women and that she should be shot.  But the Speaker didn’t let her ask her question. This play took place on a bare stage with the questions flashed up on the back wall, and read out by actors standing in the auditorium.

The last play was inspired by last summer’s riots. It was a powerful solo performance, denouncing Islamophobia, and at the end of it the rest of the cast came onto the stage carrying placards with various political messages.

I don’t have space to give details of all of the dozen plays. But although some worked better than others, the writing was consistently good, often exceptional and occasionally brilliant. The playwrights were Hassan Abdulrazzak, Mojisola Adebayo, Zia Ahmed, Philip Arditti, Nina Bowers, Roxy Cook, Ed Edwards, Waleed Elgadi, Dawn King, Ahmed Masoud, Joel Samuels, Sami Abu Wardeh.

The talented 8-strong cast was outstanding: Issam Al Ghussain, Omar Bynon, Waleed Elgadi, Ruth Lass, Sara Masry, Mark Oosterveen, Joel Samuels and Witney White.

The show was skillfully and imaginatively directed by Cressida Brown and Kirsty Housley.

Benny Goodman’s lighting design worked well. I particularly liked the sinister moments when we as an audience were momentarily dazzled as the lights were turned on us. Ed Lewis’s sound design helped create an alluring, sometimes threatening atmosphere.

The panel for the post-show discussion included Eman Alhaj Ali, a Palestinian writer who recently managed to leave Gaza and is doing post-graduate studies in Ireland.  She spoke movingly about her experiences in Gaza, and her continuing anxiety every time she hears a plane or the sirens of an ambulance or police car.  Later post-show discussion panels will include Humza Yousaf, former First Minister of Scotland.

If you don’t want to think about anything political, then this show is not for you. But if you’re prepared for an experience that may take you out of your comfort zone, then why not book a ticket?

‘Cutting The Tightrope’ runs until 17th August. Tickets available at https://www.eif.co.uk/whats-on

Reviewer: Tom Scott

Reviewed: 14th August 2025

North West End UK Rating: