Reviews : Prison Theatre- Perspectives and Practices James Thompson Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1998; pp238; £17.95, pbk
| Date | 01 December 1999 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455059904600424 |
| Author | Angela Brown |
| Published date | 01 December 1999 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
279
Prison
Theatre -
Perspectives
and
Practices
James Thompson
Jessica
Kingsley
Publishers,
1998;
pp238;
£17.95,
pbk
The
premise
of
this
book
is
that
a
prison
system
operated
by
a
civilised
society
should
be
able
and
willing
to
accommodate
within
it
the
use
of
drama
as
a
vehicle
for
rehabilitation.
If
the
system
cannot
reconcile
itself
to
this
then
it
is
uncivilised
and
without
a
soul.
The
book
describes
the
development
of
the
prison
theatre
groups
TIPP,
Clean
Break,
Geese
and
the
many
and
varied
drama
projects
which
have
taken
place
within
prison
establishments
mainly
in
this
country
but
two
also
in
Brazil.
The
13
chapters
are
contributions
from
different
authors
representing
a
variety
of
disciplines
and
one
of
them
plus
the
preface,
are
contributions
from
prisoners.
The
chapters
portray
the
different
ways
of
using
drama -
plays
created
using
auto-
biographical
material,
drama
therapy,
staging
chosen
plays,
having
plays
acted
by
professional
theatre
companies,
in
different
settings:-
young
offender
establishments,
women’s
prisons,
VPUs,
Broadmoor,
Mexican
prisons
as
well
as
ordinary
male
establishments.
The
chapters
sketch
the
benefits
of
involvement
in
drama
experienced
by
the
prisoners
fortunate
enough
to
be
included.
They
consider
the
obstacles
within
the
system,
both
those
thrown
up
naturally
which
could
be
dealt
with
and
used
as
learning
material,
and
those
thrown
up
by
fear
and
distrust
from
those
employed
to
run
the
system.
The
most
moving
chapter
is
that
written
by
Joe
White -
a
serving
prisoner
1985-1997.
He
describes
how
prisoners
need
to
express
their
pain,
the
pain
of
imprisonment
and
explore
the
human
condition
in
order
to
change.
The
macho
culture
of
prison
punishes
any
attempt
at
this.
Drama
allows
it.
Martin
Glyn
describes
his
work
as
a
black
practitioner
using
drama
with
black
inmates
who
know
they
are
incarcerated
inside
an
infrastructure
which
is
steeped
in
racism.
He
comes
up
with
reasons
why
he
feels
distrust
in
the
prison
setting,
the
last
of
these
being
&dquo;the
contempt
and
fear
of
black
practitioners
who
can
make
black
inmates
politically
aware,
giving
rise
to
what
they
would
see
as
possible
blacklashes&dquo;.
His
words
ring
horribly
true.
The
book,
whilst
an
informative
and
sometimes
inspiring
read
does
unfortunately
lead
one
to
the
conclusion
that
drama
in
prisons
whilst
fashionable
is
an
&dquo;extra&dquo;.
It
is
dispensable
when
the
regime’s
resources
are
stretched.
Michael
Balfour
and
Lindsey
Pool
in
their
chapter
on
evaluation
suggest
that
imaginative
and
thorough
evaluation
of
drama
projects
should
be
integral
to
every
such
project.
They
suggest
that
positive
evaluation
results
could
then
be
used
to
persuade
the
authorities
that
drama
is
effective
and
therefore
to
be
welcomed.
I
would
like
to
believe
it
but
unhappily
I
doubt
it.
Angela
Brown
Senior
Probation
Officer,
Inner
London
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