Words and images in Glasgow

Nuala Watt reviews two challenging projects hosted by Friends in Glasgow

As part of Refugee Week 2017 Glasgow Meeting played host to two challenging plays. Journeymen Theatre performed a double bill: Feeding the Darkness, on state-sanctioned torture, and The Bundle, which tells the story of a woman negotiating the UK asylum system. Simultaneously, we welcomed This Light that Pushes Me, a photographic exhibition on the work of Quaker peacebuilders from sub-Saharan Africa. Both events took place at Renfield St Stephen’s Church, Bath Street, Glasgow, to whose congregation we express our thanks.

All three works push us to consider darker aspects of human experience. Feeding the Darkness juxtaposes episodes including an Anglican sermon, an unsuccessful asylum appeal and a training course for interrogators. As I listened I was reminded of Everyman, a medieval morality play in which a succession of figures challenge the titular character’s assumptions and lead him to change his ways. I was impressed by the two actors’ ability to embody a large cast of different characters. The content was sometimes painful but it gave us an opportunity to think deeply about our response to the uses and consequences of torture.

The Bundle focuses on a Chechen woman who is seeking asylum for herself and her children in the UK. In some ways I think this play was the more successful. The concentration on a central character and plot helped the audience empathise. Equally, monologues by the headmistress of her children’s school and by a reader of the right-wing press vividly suggested the pressures the character was experiencing. They also showed how a single person’s story could affect many others.

The photographs in This Light that Pushes Me show Quaker faith in practice. The exhibition drew a steady stream of visitors through the week, prompting thoughtful feedback from viewers.

The exhibition is based at Friends House but can travel throughout the UK. We are grateful to Friends House for the opportunity to host the exhibition.

All of these artworks take an unflinching look at violence. They also suggest alternative narratives rooted in peace, truth, equality and simplicity. They convincingly dramatise our attempts to make these concerns a reality in our daily lives.

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