As the world wakes up to a new President Elect, it seems timely to publish this interview with the new artistic director of Camden People’s Theatre, Rio Matchett.
I wondered how the current festival of political plays at CPT, The State We’re In feeds into her ethos in charge.
The world seems a very unsettled place right now, and after a long period of Conservative rule, there are a lot of changes ahead. What do you think is the major issue that needs to be tackled in the UK?
Honestly, I don’t think I can say much here that hasn’t been said a hundred times – all of our problems are rooted in the same systemic oppression which has been the case across both Conservative, new Labour and coalition governments.
Food poverty, educational inequality, the war on disabled people, systemic racism – it’s hard to say that any of those are problems specific to now.
The two things which spring to mind as being particularly current are the increase in both attitudinal and systemic hate facing trans people, and the fact that that hate seems to have become socially permissible, and the ongoing genocides in Gaza and beyond, which the UK is absolutely complicit in.
The State We’re In is a very ambitious festival looking at issues such as foster care, racism, climate change and food poverty.
You’re brand new in the role at CPT, so may not have been around for the early stages, but during the festival, did you get the sense that the various creatives and companies were able to work with and spark ideas off each other?
Absolutely, some of the best moments of the festival for me have been before, between and after shows, when audiences and companies have collided in conversation and energy.
It’s one of the reasons I believe so passionately in theatres as brick and mortar buildings, we have so few ‘third spaces’ (not work or home) now in which we can meet people both different and alike to us, and theatres are at their best when they’re civic community spaces.
It’s CPT’s 30th anniversary, so it was formed on the cusp of the last change of power in 1997, when Labour first moved to the political centre.
As you’re getting to grips with CPT’s history, what do you feel has changed between now and then, and why does this festival fit in with birthday celebrations?
Well, I was five in 1997, so I’m afraid I’m not in a great position to speak first hand about politics in the 90s!
What I do know I know through conversation, reading, and culture, but maybe it’s best I don’t try and offer any novel thoughts on that…
One thing which feels really present and visceral to me now, arriving at CPT in 2024 is the affinity the organisation has with times of change.
I guess that speaks both to its founding in the 90s, and the way it’s protected its identity as a dynamic space, a space which is able to be reactive to topical conversations, and the needs of both audiences and artists.
Since the late 1960s, theatre has operated largely without censorship, with free speech encouraged. However, this is becoming problematic where some topics are concerned.
How has CPT addressed this in terms of its festival programming? And what are its plans for the near future?
The root of this question is in the financial precarity of the sector as much as conservative (with a little c!) attitudes.
Real terms funding cuts, increasing overheads, and the cost of living mean that there are truly unprecedented pressures on theatres to perform commercially, which often makes people nervous about risky or overtly political programming.
However, I also believe that it’s a false dichotomy to say political work can’t be commercial, popular or entertaining, and it’s a programmer’s responsibility to find, develop and support work which does both, alongside the platforming of work which might not be as commercially successful, but is strategically vital in terms of driving discourse and challenging thinking.
The shows that Brian (Logan, my predecessor) programmed as part of The State We’re In festival are hugely diverse in perspective and tone, but across them all there’s an energy for speaking truth to power.
Of course, theatre can’t always directly impact policy, but I truly believe that stories can change minds, and minds can change the world. So, you can expect to see more of that!
It’s now over 100 days into the new Labour administration. Are you hopeful that any of the problems and issues raised during The State We’re In will be adequately addressed as Labour moves forward into its term?
Hope is one of the main muscles I think theatre can train – so yes, I’m eternally, naively and utterly hopeful.
The challenge is to balance hope with realism, and to let your hope drive to you action rather than complacency, but I’m so lucky to spend so much of my life with storytellers and artists who teach me how to imagine other ways of being in the world.
Sometimes, that hope, that belief that things can be other than they are manifests as rage, and I think that can be useful too. So yes – I’m furious, and I’m forever hopeful.
The State We’re In Festival runs at Camden People’s Theatre until 10 Nov 2024.
For more information and to book tickets, click here: https://cptheatre.co.uk/festivals/state-2024