Review: MORE THAN ONE STORY, Trafalgar Theatre

If there is one message that those who were in attendance at More Than One Story LIVE on 9 November absorbed through their skin, it is that “The arts don’t belong to a few, they belong to everyone.” The sentiment was declared proudly by Rory Kinnear in his opening speech and echoed warmly by co-host Shahab Awad, actor and member of Cardboard Citizens. It was sprinkled, allegorised, and spoken boldly throughout the monologues that were presented.

At a moment in time when an average family of four could eat for a month with the same kind of money they’d pay to attend a performance of Paddington The Musical, and Elon Musk is on the verge of becoming the first Trillionaire in the world, it’s an essential reminder that poverty isn’t the problem: wealth is. There are enough resources; those in power simply don’t want to share it – Kinnear and Awad made it very clear. 

The one-off event featured Arthur Darvill, Nicôle Lecky, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, and more delivering excerpts from Cardboard Citizens’ latest large-scale project: a groundbreaking collection of monologues that reframes homelessness and poverty. By putting to the forefront a variety of points of view, new definitions come to the surface. The anthology broadens the thematic exemplification, presenting realities that we might not immediately associate with the matter at heart. 

Homelessness can coexist with holding down a job and most of us are one rent spike away from losing our homes (Yes Chef! by Khasha Hobbeheydar and Balloons by Kerry Fitzgerald are particularly affecting). Equally, poverty has many facets too, often accompanying circumstances, disabilities, and health conditions we can’t control (3-Wheel Car by Daniel York Loh and Monsters by Redd Lily Roche introduce two more perspectives from the eyes of children). Many of the pieces are peppered with wit and humour, so the humiliation, stigma, and shame stand out stronger and meaner. It’s “honest, clear-sighted writing”, like Kinnear said. It's art with a purpose. 

Even at its most ironic, there’s a bubbling underlying anger that keeps hold of the target. The contributions come in an assortment of styles, with some of them leaning more towards spoken word than straight drama. Orbweaver by Chloe Barrow is one of these. Performed on the night by Puwanarajah, it’s simply arresting. Profound and resonant, it gave pause as the first reading that was void of any comic slant - a hard-hitting admonition of what’s at stake.

The evening also saw members of Cardboard Citizens share what the organisation means to them. They spoke with aplomb about the tangible effect that being part of the cohort has had. It’s more than confidence and support, it’s allowing people to feel visible and take up space. Chris Sonnex, Artistic Director and joint CEO, highlighted the life-changing difference done by the company in a rare appearance on stage. Sharing that he grew up on a council estate a mere 30-minute walk from Trafalgar Square, he acknowledged that “Statistically, people like [him] don’t usually get invited into the industry”. A hard truth.

Despite one-fourth of the population living in poverty, drama doesn’t normally cover their stories. Perhaps commercial theatre thinks it unglamorous to produce shows that reflect modern-day oppression. More Than One Story proves that these voices are full of personality, sass, and depth. The monologues included in the book are intelligent windows into a reality we’re trained to look away from by a ruling class that capitalises on the weak. Whether through the development of a narrative, a poetic treatment, or a personal reflection, the invective against a system that allows for the debasement of its people is rich and powerful.

It’s a thought-provoking collection, meant to start a conversation that reaches beyond the threshold of the theatre. Readers, performers, and producers can be assured of the quality of the writing, with pieces penned by Chris Bush, Inua Ellams, Charlie Josephine, Peyvand Sadeghian, Roy Williams, and many more celebrated playwrights. It’s a testament to the work Cardboard Citizens keep doing and an urgent call to action.

More Than One Story: An Anthology of Monologues on Homelessness and Poverty is available here on 13 November from Nick Hern Books.

Photo Credit: Piers Allardyce​