A Small Town Anywhere
Battersea Arts Centre has hosted
many a participation performance, but A Small Town Anywhere
goes one step further by replacing all performers with the participating
audience. Produced by Coney, a company which describes itself as ‘an agency of play
and adventure’, A Small Town is a game whose outcome is determined
by the participants.
It is definitely worth emailing
Henri the small-town historian before your visit. He’ll ask you some questions
and help you to construct a character. The Town’s inhabitants have their own
roles such as Le Baker, La Chanteuse and Le Mayor and if you have talked to
Henri beforehand you might also have a secret. As well as other amenities, there
is a postal service and throughout the ‘game’ the postmistress hands you
letters from other ‘citizens’ accusing you of crimes which you may or may not
have committed.
So far it sounds as if you are
paying to perform, but although there are no actors you are not left to your
own devices: the Town Crier, a Big Brother-type voice from above, makes
announcements and oversees the day-to-day activities of the town (time goes
quickly in A Small Town); you are also sent instructions
which encourage you to call meetings or elections. The audience is responsible
for developing the story, but there is always a feeling that there is someone
on the outside pulling the strings and willing the residents of the Town to
turn against one another. It is a clever concept and not always a very
comfortable experience. It all takes place in one room and by the
end (two hours later in real time
or a week in the life of the Town) you genuinely feel part of an oppressive
community.
The A Small Town
Anywhere website states clearly that you don’t even need to talk to
anyone and can sit back and watch the Town go by; but this would probably
diminish the experience considerably. You need to start the rusty cogs of your
imagination and play along; otherwise you could look around and see a bunch of
audience members doing a role-playing exercise instead of a close community
woven with secrets.
– Joanna Ing
