Moonfleece's national tour ended early when Dudley Council made the decision to ban it for fear of stirring a violent response from its reactionary far right residents, which says more than enough of their ability to deal with politics intelligently. Moonfleece on the other hand is endlessly creative and astute about the selection of controversies it covers, particularly poignant in the run up to the election. It has now been welcomed back to London by the ever open-minded Riverside Studios and Greenwich Theatre.
The play's producer Will Young has explained that the Moonfleece tour was designed to bring new audiences to theatre and, as with most politically themed theatre, is intended to make people think. This piece is an undeniably brilliant introduction to a multitude of the very best aspects of theatre. There are strong characters: detestable, hilarious, sweet and stupid. It has an absorbing narrative that twists, stirring and rendering the audience unable to dissociate themselves from the themes being explored. There are also distinct elements of spoken word and storytelling that run smoothly alongside a consistent flow of humour.
Moonfleece follows Curtis, a teenage member of an outspoken far right-wing group whose party line explains they intend to “educate through reasonable debate”. Essentially they prove themselves to be Philistines that prey on the vulnerable while trying to contain the hot heads in their midst. Phillip Ridley's clever script and well sculpted characters force us to acknowledge his protagonist as a multidimensional adolescent and slowly reveal his heart-breaking past. Told with impressive skill in real time, Moonfleece makes a complex, broad-ranging argument
More prevalent than the politics are the growing pains and steep learning curve that its teenage characters experience as they find their way in the world. It's a demonstration of the kind of theatre that is conducive and accessible to any community. However, Dudley Council chose to explain the decision to ban the play with the following statement: "The Mill Theatre at Dormston High School had been hired for the production, however the booking was cancelled as the school did not feel some of the issues raised within the play were suitable for a school and community setting." Though the play is far from didactic, there isn't a community in this country that wouldn't benefit from seeing it: it's absolutely essential viewing.
Moonfleece runs at Riverside Studios until 11th April and then at Greenwich Theatre from 15th to 17th April.
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