Britain Yearly Meeting 2016: The stories behind the statistics
A moving performance form the Journeymen Theatre examined the impact of torture
A challenging production by Journeymen Theatre left a hushed audience with food for thought on Saturday.
Lynn and David Morris performed ‘Feeding the Darkness… Shining a Light on State-Sanctioned Torture through Story, Poem and Song’ at a special interest group hosted by Quaker Concern for the Abolition of Torture (Q-CAT).
The stories, told via ten standalone dramatic scenes, shone a light on the personal experiences of both the tortured and torturers. The long-lasting effects of such practices as foot whipping, waterboarding, sleep deprivation and rectal feeding on the human beings involved took centre stage.
The scenes approached the subject from a wide range of perspectives: from victims to those in contact with them as they sought asylum; from perpetrators to the impact on their families; from 1930s Germany to present day UK; and from a vicar delivering an impassioned sermon on what they’ve learned about torture to a couple, involved in manufacturing, shopping for cruises as they discuss the global market their new range of manacles has benefitted from.
The performance showed the complex and far-reaching consequences of torture on all those involved, incorporating shocking facts into heartfelt human stories.
