I walked into Babylon Burning yesterday without having read the program.  I knew that the show studied the effects of the Iraq war, that it was nearly three hours long and had been created in a collaborative process but I didn’t yet understand the full implications of  the concept of “community theatre.”

Once a year Theatre workshop invites members of the community to work with professional directors, actors, set and costume designers in producing a piece of theatre that accurately portrays their concerns.  There are no auditions- the only requirement for Theatre Workshop is a commitment of time.  This is truly inclusive theatre.  Their 2006 piece,  “Babylon Burning” involved at least forty members of the community in creating an original piece of theatre about their oppostion to British involvement in the Iraqi war. 
The piece is incredibly daring and experimental.  Television screens with flawlessly edited footage line the stage, and the opening musical number features the entire cast singing “Mcdonalds, Mcdonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut” in gaudy but colourful ensembles.  The beginning of the show seems like a series of sketches about the war in Iraq, which are innovatively staged and make good use of the members of the very large cast.  There is, however, a story that arcs throughout the show, about an Iraqi family who crave peace but find their lives torn apart by the American Invasion, and a British woman soldier whose life intersects with theirs in a frightening and unexpected way.  This story is undoubtedly the strongest aspect of the show.  If the company considers workshopping this script I hope that they pair down the flashier aspects of the show, which often feel a little too “Michael Moore” for comfort.

After seeing an influx of slick political pieces in professional theatres this Fringe, it took a bit of adjusting to watch “Babylon Burning.”  This said, the mandate of the company is so admirable, and the grit, passion, love and rage that members of the Edinburgh community felt about the subject matter was so palpable, that I walked out of the theatre feeling like I’d witnessed a marvelous protest.  The very presence of many of the actors on stage was a triumph of the human spirit, and indeed, at the end of the show (which was only tenously upbeat) there was an underlying message:  Yes, the world is going terribly wrong, but if organizations like Theatre Workshop exist, bringing diverse members of the community together to raise awareness about issues and foster life and love between them- well, maybe then there is hope.  Babylon Burning is not by professional standards a good piece of theatre, but it is a true piece of theatre- and it speaks loudly of the concerns of the community regarding the war.  In this way, if you let it, it succeeds in being a far more powerful statement than some of the best shows at the Fringe.  I’m glad that this company exists.

Theatre Workshop, Hamilton Place (0131) 226 5425
August 15-20, 22-27 @ 19:30
Tickets: £10/£6