The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2021 - Issue 30

bitetheatre Images courtesy of Alessandra Davison ever, being an inclusive performance, the transcript of the entire script was projected onto the dark curtain be- hind the action. Despite being fully switched-on to every word of the sto- ry told, the jargon-heavy acronyms that pertain to the world of mental health hospitalisation: AN, BPD, ED- NOS, TRANNOS, NFA and CBT all flew over my head but gave awareness to the vast amount of boxes and la- bels people with mental ill-health are forced into by the controlling powers, in want of compartmentalising soci- ety, especially those that are deemed against the ‘norm’. The despairing journey into homelessness was amplified by the uniqueness of this non-clichéd story. Performed mostly in a manner of relating facts, the story, however, is compelling and at times surprising. The clever direc- tion of mimicking certain characters through voice and stance had each character identifiable to the audience every time they were presented in the story and at times added wit to the diabolism of the circumstances being physically described. Nell’s intelligent writing and excellent performance prompted standing ovation applause by the intimate au- dience at its end. I was able to get hold of Nell to ask her a bit about her writing. With such a dense script that she wrote and performed word-perfect, I was interested to know what her favourite line was and why. She replied, “The line ’No one place is ever safe for long’ is [my fa- vourite] because it encapsulates what the play is about nicely and the play is about homelessness as well as the homeless itself and the long term mental health impact of a period of extreme systematic exclusion. It picks up why the play is called NoMad and that even after you’re housed you’re still at the risk of being moved on.” This story which draws on one’s empathy and triggers re- flection of compassion to the variety of paths there are in homelessness was brilliantly demonstrated through the engaging story and storytelling. I left the venue held in awe at having been privileged to witness such an excep- tional performance, all in a beautifully spacious, yet in- timate venue, which also lent its hand to the enjoyment of the experience. Poplar Union, in the East India Dock vicinity of Tower Hamlets in east London, is a beautiful art and commu- nity space, purposely built to showcase all things com- munity, with a cosy but spacious bar within its foyer area and large ceiling to floor glass windows overlooking Bartlett Park to its east. Their ‘What’s On’ and workshop programme can be accessed online. The R.A.T. team plans to continue its performance tour in the spring of 2022, with the first being for Interna- tional Women’s Day at Omnibus Theatre; dates TBC. To acquire tickets and/or follow R.A.T’s future productions, please access their website. www.responseabilitytheatre.com