Rabdă!
by iulia isar
Political clowning R&D at TRON Theatre Glasgow
RABDĂ! is an R&D in 3 stages (interviews, writing and devising) for a political clowning show researching the phenomenon of alcoholism and its link to toxic masculinity and patriarchal violence in post-communist societies.
Starting with personal experiences and relationships with alcoholic fathers, it reflects on how the patriarchal roles and violence we have grown up with have moulded us and affected our lives. RABDĂ places the deeply personal within the global to provoke critical thought.
We interviewed Central and Eastern European migrants with an experience of alcoholism, whether personal or familial. The documented stories of “enduring” (=rabdă), alongside iulia isar’s personal experience, inspired the writing of a first draft, which we R&Ded at TRON Theatre Glasgow in January 2022.
Key dates:
Research period: June 2021
Interviews & Transcribing: June-August 2021
Dramaturgy sessions & writing: August-December 2021
Devising period: 10 - 14 January 2022 at TRON Theatre Glasgow
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! seeks to develop the role of the clown as a social emissary and agent for political change.
CREATIVE TEAM:
Playwright: iulia isar
Director: Nico Vaccari
Dramaturgy: Sînziana Cojocărescu
R&D Cast: iulia isar, Angel Lopez-Silva, Noemi Gunea, Cristina Tudor
Co-producers: Iarina Armășelu & Claire Gilbert
Consultants: Prof. Nimisha Patel (clinical psychologist), Ionuț Cioarță (social worker, researcher) Tim Licata (Lecturer in Movement, artistic director of Plutôt La Vie)
Funded by Creative Scotland.
LEAD ARTIST:
iulia is a Romanian theatre maker and youth worker. Her work is often a subject of tragicomedy, political theatre, clowning and the bouffon. iulia is committed to creating work that integrates social studies and actively includes migrant communities in its development. After collaborating with BÉZNĂ for the first time in 2020 as an actor, she has been working on writing her first theatre play, Rabdă!, with dramaturgy support from Sînziana Cojocărescu. Rabdă! is a multilingual political clowning performance about the tragicomic aspects of alcohol addiction and its connection to patriarchal violence in post communist societies.
