Recent history - Jab and Photographing Britain

 Jab

At the Park 90 Theatre, this one had an unusually small audience, so much so that we all naturally sort of socially distanced ourselves amongst the seats.  This is a relationship drama set in the midst of Covid.  Anne (Kacey Ainsworth) is a health worker and therefore ‘essential’ whilst Don (Liam Tobin), as his wife points out, is ‘non-essential’;  he agrees, he’s a luxury item ‘like a bath bomb’.  At the start of the lockdown , the banter is light, but as things progress, the cracks in the relationship show and things turn nasty.  Apparently based on a real story, it’s well performed and actually very funny.  It feels pretty accurate, and uses the real timeline including the lockdown language, the deaths, debates and Barnard Castle, but it doesn’t really set the world alight.  I think that we could have had more about the decision that Anne has to make and why she makes it, given the abusive relationship - that was sort of just displayed and then left hanging.  So I am still waiting to see the definitive lockdown play. 

The 1980's: Photographing Britain
Earlier in the day I went to see this brilliant exhibition at Tate Britain.  It was huge and really captured a lot of the essence of what it was to live through the 80s, that decade of upheaval and change.  Capturing the strikes and bleakness of the late 70’s, early 80s, the racism, homophobia and collapse of industry, the protest and oppositional activity, but there was also a lot of stuff just documenting the times, social attitudes and culture.  I loved it and I took so many photos of the photos that my phone battery went dead but these are just a tiny fraction of some of my favourites.  

Firstly, this isn’t new, but I am including it because I was there, somewhere at the very back - Anti Nazi League march and then the Rock against Racism gig in Victoria Park.  We were so far back (in amongst the trees) the people on stage were dots, and the sound system wasn’t great, but it felt good to be there.  

Then some capturing the rise of yuppydom.  These by Anna Fox just made me laugh.  

Given the awful attacks happening on trans rights at the moment in the UK, using the same language that was used about gay people in the time of section 28, this series called 'Pretended Family Relationships' was quite timely.  The title is taken from the wording actually used in the section 28 legislation preventing the 'promotion of homosexuality' - I can hardly even say it without rolling my eyes!   But this by Sunil Gupta felt quite sad, and of course, at the time no-one knew that the campaigners would win and things would get better.  

There was also a whole series by Al-An deSousa 'Indian Aphorisms' capturing the development of their identity as an Asian gay man, which encapsulated for me the whole development of identity politics during that time.   

I also loved the landscapes - this one of Greenham Common, which also had its own section, a reminder of another time when the UK was struggling to stand up to the US.

Honestly, a fab exhibition with loads of trips down memory lane to be had. I will end with this one by Martin Parr which is also a bit ageless apart from the branding having changed a bit.

Finishes on 5th May, definitely worth a trip!