Acting alone

Acting Alone is a practice-as-research solo performance (ACE funded; Amnesty International Derbyshire commission) which toured nationally/ internationally during (2014-2016). An autobiographical provocation inspired by the Israeli/Palestinian conflict based on Hunt’s experience of witnessing Playback theatre in the West Bank. The performance presented this human rights conflict to international audiences asking - can one person make a difference?

Historical characters, who acted heroically, against the unheroic acts of Hunt in Palestine where woven throughout. This immersive piece created a strong performer/audience relationship which created powerful moments, during the performance, of audience participation e.g. joining in, helping, with small tasks contributing to the storytelling, leading to the final transformative moment when the audience would be invited to complete the show by crossing the dramaturgical divide. Acting Alone performed to multi-faith communities, studio theatres, non-theatre venues, schools, and at the Just Festival Edinburgh Fringe (receiving 5 star reviews) .

The artistic and creative design of Acting Alone was inspired by Boal’s Forum Theatre, where audiences, as Spect-actors, are invited to rehearse a revolutionary act challenging their oppression, however, Acting Alone explored the role of the by-stander or the tritagonist. The tritagonist position is neither protagonist nor antagonist but opens up the third role exploring the agency of the international community. Performances and papers were presented and performed at academic conferences in UK, Ireland, New Zealand, USA and Sweden where Dr Rand (Massey University New Zealand) presented a paper to the IFTR conference inspired by the production entitled: Re-Enacting Palestine and the Performance of Credibility. Detailed responses from audiences (over one thousand) demonstrated discourse, political activism as well as controversial commentary including accusations of falsification and anti-Semitism.
Enquiry into the by-stander or tritagonist role through audience/performer immersion, highlighted this new area of knowledge and practice which will be developed in Hunt’s forthcoming PhD.

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