I’m not a big theatre goer but there are certain pieces that really grab my attention. Devious Theatre‘s Scratcher was one such production and I was lucky enough to get a ticket for the sold out Dublin show last Thursday.
Scratcher gives a perspective on something that all of us fear - the dole queue. It’s a stark reality for the 400,000 unemployed people in Ireland at the moment. Disaffection is rampant as is frustration and Scratcher deals with characters who decide to take a stand. There’s the arts student who just can’t make a living, the builder who does a few nixers on the side, the lad who can’t wait to get back to bed, the professional whose pride is severely dented by the position she’s found herself in. So what are they to do? Take a stand? Stop getting pissed on and get pissed off? They’ve yet to try it yet so why the hell not?
Writer/Director John Morton’s script is sharp, funny and relentless at just short of an hour in length. I’ve seen a few Devious productions before but this one stood out to me as it’s of our time. It opens tonight (22nd) and runs until Sat (26th) at 8pm in 76 John Street, Kilkenny. Tickets are priced at €12 at the link above or on 056 – 7794138. I’ll be making the trip down on Saturday to catch the closing night. This is social warfare.
