Plonter, The Pit Theatre, Barbican
Plonter means ‘tangle’ and is the title of the latest work by the Cameri Theatre of Tel Aviv, playing in the Pit Theatre at the Barbican until 7th February.
The play is a tangle in several senses: it is an ensemble piece performed in Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles by Israeli and Arab actors, all of whom take on a number of roles as members of both Jewish and Palestinian communities. An interwoven story of suffering and suspicion on both sides is told in a variety of styles: from farce to melodrama. Palestinian children play at suicide bombers as if it were cops and robbers while an Israeli soldier is haunted by the ghost of a ‘rioting youth’ he shot who was really just a child playing football with his friends.
It sounds much more complex than it is. Rehearsal furniture, a versatile set, original music and judicious use of projected images guide the audience through the worlds of these two warring peoples.
The high point of this devised piece is the Kafkaesque subplot involving a 9 foot security barrier being constructed through a Palestinian family’s house so that they have to pass through a manned checkpoint to get to their kitchen and bathroom. It is very funny to watch but the humour is underscored by a growing awareness in the audience that this type of humiliation is a daily reality for many people.
Sky and the BBC’s refusal to show the DEC’s Gaza appeal stems from a professed desire from both organizations not to compromise their impartiality regarding the current crisis: the implication being that it is perfectly possible for journalists to observe and report events without getting tangled up in them. It is rarely that simple and certainly not in this case.
