Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Roberta Laguardia.
The life and work of Italian artist, feminist and political activist Franca Rame might not be that well known but in a collaborative effort between Italian actress Roberta Laguardia and the Lantern Theatre, two pieces of work her work were performed and all with the blessing of Franca Rame’s long-time collaborator and heir to her estate, Dario Fo to a Liverpool audience.
The evening started with an informed and informative introduction to the life and work of Franca Rame by Liverpool-based performer and academic Brian Desmond before settling down to the first of the two pieces of work on offer, The Rape.
It is almost impossible to stress the importance of this opening piece. It was based on the actual kidnapping, torture and rape of Franca Rame in the 1970s by fascists in politically charged times. Sections of the police reportedly cheered at the news of Franca Rame’s humiliation but she defiantly transformed her harrowing ordeal into art and examined the whole culture of domination and power by men of women, refusing to remain cast as a victim or to see herself as unique.
Admirably and courageously played by Roberta Laguardia, and for any actress to even consider performing this piece requires courage, it is a raw a piece of theatre as theatre goers are ever likely to see and profoundly moving – the definitive account of a culture of rape from the pen of an immensely important artist.
It is shocking to think that 40 years on from its inception it remains a necessary response and dissection of a culture, from any politically charged or misogynistic society which accepts men’s violence to women as normal and permissible, a culture that demeans women moment by moment in media and the arts without a second thought.
One of the highlights of this graphic and intense retelling of her ordeal is when Franca/Roberta, having been raped by four of her attackers and thrown out of the van where the crime took place, wanders through the streets of Milan and decides not to report the rape for the moment as she can’t bear the thought of the smirks of the police officers (highly composed as they are of fascists).
It is all the more powerful for the graphic details of her account as cigarettes are stubbed out on her breasts for example and destroys in one succinct phrase after another any argument that seeks to normalise or explain away sexual violence as anything other than a very sickened society.
Roberta Laguardia’s staging was most appropriate with the actress unmoving, in a corollary to the physical restrictions being described in Franca’s account and avoided the potential pitfall of melodramatic overacting.
In such a society that continues to demean women and not give them the esteem of human beings, The Rape is a precious piece of theatre – 20 minutes of gold, and how ironic to consider that this one-woman show is never individualist but is always about ‘women’ not ‘a woman’).
The second piece of the night was entitled The Same Old Story a fantastical piece which covered a variety of aspects of sexual relations between men and women and the indoctrination of girls as children to behave as acceptable women. Despite there being strong moments in the piece, particularly the ‘fairy tale’ aspect with a diversion down the road of Little Red Riding Hood the writing and drama was nowhere near as strong or as focussed as the first part of the evening and rather disproved the assertion given before the piece with a quote by Moliere that comedy provokes change in the audience’s consciousness in a way that tragedy doesn’t. On the evidence of the two pieces tonight it was the opposite.
Paradoxically the performance of Roberta Laguardia was more extensive, expressive, accentuated and nuanced in this piece than in the first, so perhaps some thought needs to be given to how best The Same Old Story could be directed to increase the dramatic focus. At times though, one is aware that the problem lies in the standard of writing which fluctuates between excellence to unsatisfactory.
After the tour de force which is The Rape perhaps it is unfair to judge ‘The Same Old Story’ thus harshly. It, despite its flaws, remains an important statement, comically delivered, on the subjugation and fight-back of women.
Franca is an important piece of theatre, worthy of support and further exploration with plans for a tour later in the year. It should be required viewing, certainly for every man who has not considered his privileged role in our societies and Roberta Laguardia and the Lantern Theatre deserve audience commendation for bringing attention to such brilliant and absolutely relevant theatre that is the output of Franca Rame.
The second piece and this review finishes with a quote said by Rame, specifically to women – ‘We all have the same story to tell – all of us!’, and it is a story that should be heard and listened to!
Julian Bond