Refuse to Dance. The theatre of Howard Barker - ACE165.6

Stills. Caption: "THE CASTLE. RSC, The Pit, 1985." More stills. Mottram on the ways in which characters in Barker’s plays are forced to "re-form" themselves. Stucley and Krak. Skinner and Cant (Katherine Rogers). talking about snow and toads etc. Soldiers. VO over sketches by Barker. "They say the work is not optimistic. What right has anyone to be optimistic? That would be self-delusion of magnificent proportions ..." Calder on Barker’s anti-authoritarianism and politics. He is concerned that Barker may be banned in an increasingly right wing society. McDiarmid "England. Where the coinage is not convincing. The crowds are violent with debt and the passion of the populace is not for love… but fun…" VO "The problem for Socialism is that it appears necessary for it to be, if effective, based in authority…" Barker "listening". Freeman VO theatre interior: "Listen! They want you to dance. Put wax in your ears. They insist on your dancing. Tie down your feet… Now therefore refuse to dance…" Credits.