Written by – iulia isar

Directed by – Nico Vaccari

Dramaturgy – Sînziana Cojocărescu

R&D Cast – iulia isar, Angel Lopez-Silva, Noemi Gunea, Cristina Tudor

Co-produced by – Iarina Armășelu & Claire Gilbert

RABDĂ is an R&D in 3 stages (interviews, writing and devising) for a political clowning show exploring what shapes us and how we can make peace with who we’ve become.

RABDĂ will research and devise the phenomenon of alcoholism and its link to toxic masculinity and patriarchal violence in post-communist societies, starting with my personal experience and my relationship with my alcoholic father, comparing it to the experiences of other Central & Eastern European migrants in Scotland and reflecting on how the patriarchal roles and violence we have grown up with have moulded us and affected our life in Scotland. I want to consider these experiences in the wider socio-political and economic context by consulting with leading academics and experts in a diverse range of fields: psychology, Communist and post-Communist studies, deprivation studies, post-soviet society, politics and economics in order to ensure that RABDĂ places the deeply personal within the global in order to provoke critical thought.

The documented stories of “enduring” (=rabdă), alongside my personal experience, will inspire the writing of a first draft. The ‘egalitarian’ clown, much more than a comical presence, uses laughter to subvert the hierarchical barrier between actors and audience, plays with frailty and allows the audience to laugh freely and feel uninhibited. RABDĂ will develop the role of the clown as a social emissary and agent for political change.