Do We Look Like Refugees?!

Verbatim theatre specialist Alecky Blythe has a huge hit on her hands with her first verbatim musical, London Road, now extended at the National. Meanwhile, a project about the displaced peoples of northern Georgia, following the 2008 war with Russia, finds it’s way to the Riverside Studios. With a visit to the Caucases planned for the coming months, I felt a strong need to go.

The small Georgian cast speak the words of Blythe’s interviewees as they hear them though the earphones they wear throughout, as was her original way with verbatim theatre, to ensure the subject’s words and speech patters are faithfully produced without an actor’s individual spin.

Most of the dialogue is in Georgian and I was so spellbound by the actors that I found myself missing much of the words on the surtitles. I did however get enough to paint a vivid picture of these people’s lives and the impact of the invasion and consequential removal to a refugee camp, where I believe they still are.

It’s surprising how much of an impression you get from fifty minutes watching / listening to these five Georgian actors relaying these tales; I really did feel I was hearing their testimony first hand.

Much more than worthy.