“Everyone is very, very nervous and unsure of everything, basically.”
This summer, I was lucky enough to see Rufus Norris’ interpretation of the verbatim piece, London Road, at London’s National Theatre. Verbatim theatre is composed of words taken from real people, offering insight into the lived experiences and perspectives of others. The London Road script is formed entirely of direct quotations from those affected by the Ipswich serial murders of 2006, in which five sex workers were murdered by a resident of London Road.
The above quotation, spoken by a neighbour of the murderer, represents the rawness, vulnerability, and tangible anxiety conveyed throughout the show. The lines exuded honesty, as those touched by the events were able to voice their emotions without their words being manipulated or distorted.
A moment which cast an eerie silence of captivation over the audience was when we were played a recording of an interview with several sex workers from near London Road; it was chilling to hear the voices of such young girls fearing for their lives. In an age where we receive a constant stream of shocking and sometimes sensationalised media, it is possible to feel desensitised to horrifying stories such as the Ipswich murders. However, hearing those who witnessed the aftermath of the murders discuss the impact was shockingly touching and encouraged the audience to connect with the gravity of such cases.
When recounting a story onstage, we aim to appeal to our audience; we want the script to be enticing, the delivery to be polished, and reactions to be evoked. This can make it challenging to stay true to the reality of a series of events. Take Come From Away: this musical – which is not a verbatim piece – tells the true story of one of the 38 planes forced to land due to the 9/11 attacks. The dramatisation of the events resulted in the embellishment of the true story, and the amplified characterisation established a distance between the audience and the real people. The characters from London Road stuck with me because I felt like I had momentarily entered their minds. Come From Away, on the other hand, gave me access to the minds of the script-writer and director. This showed me that verbatim theatre offers the audience a uniquely intimate experience, which cannot be replicated by changed and exaggerated versions of true events.
I don’t mean to say that embellishment is a problem with script writing – after all, theatre can provide a powerful form of escape, presenting audiences with an accessible and engaging way to connect with a story. However, this documentary style of verbatim theatre is crucially important because it preserves the authentic words of real people and offers a platform to those without a voice, such as the sex workers of London Road.
“Celebrity Solstice. Theatre.” by Tom Mascardo 1 is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.