A NEW play which examines the “removal of social protections across Europe and the rise of the right-wing” is about to tour Scotland.
Production company Surrogate have brought Who Killed My Father, based on a French novella, to the stage.
Written by Édouard Louis, the work was originally commissioned for the theatre but eventually transformed into a novella mixing autobiography and fiction.
The work focuses on Édouard, who was forced to endure the violence and homophobia of his alcoholic, right-wing father as he grew up gay in rural France.
It sees its central character confront his father who, at barely 50 years old, can hardly walk or breathe as he tries to look for the reasons behind his parent's behaviour.
Although the play, directed by Edinburgh-born Nora Wardell, retains the original French setting, she believes it will offer a chance for Scots to reflect on the wider rise of the right-wing.
“On a personal level, I was struck by the way Édouard is looking at politics and how political decisions impact people in a very personal way through this story about himself having grown up gay in a working-class community in Northern France”, Wardell told The National.
“I think it’s looking at political issues in a compassionate way, it’s confrontational but it’s written in a such a beautiful and sometimes funny way that it speaks more directly about the emotional divides within our society that some of these issues speak to.
“For me, I’m thinking about Scotland’s relationship to Europe and the wider removal of social protections in the last 20 to 30 years that we’re seeing across Europe alongside the rise of right-wing, neo-populist parties.”
Wardell cites the rise of Marine Le Pen in France and the victory of Giorgia Meloni in Italy as two examples have shown a swing to the right across Europe.
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“I’m thinking about the fact that these parties and their policies are anti-immigration, there’s issues around LGBTQ+ rights, they’re against social welfare and workers’ rights.
“I wanted to look at these in Europe more widely and then how we can deal with these in Scotland post-Covid which exposed the most vulnerable in our society.”
Adapting for the stage
The play will have its debut in the Cumbernauld Theatre on April 27 before touring around Scotland until May 30.
Wardell has worked as a freelance director for a number of years and set up her production company Surrogate in 2019.
This production marks her first work since coming back from Covid.
“It feels like a debut for the company. Re-exploring it round Scotland is a very strange experience and having been away for a year, it only feels more resonant.”
Given that the original work is part-autobiographical, she says she felt a responsibility to keep the play as close to the source material as possible.
“When it came to adapting, it didn’t require a lot of change. It was more about cutting and editing and finding a rhythm that would work for the stage.
“It’s been a big challenge and this is a one-person show so it’s always going to be particularly demanding and I think we’re trying to bring alive the relationship between actor and audience.”
In spite of the pressure she might have felt making it, Wardell adds that she can’t wait for the play to get underway, especially given that Covid halted so much cultural output.
Wardell added: “I’m very excited but also apprehensive about how audiences will find the work especially as we haven’t reset it in Scotland.
“I’m curious to see what connections they’ll make with their own lives rather than having me say it’s about this or that.”
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