Each weekend, the economic migrants in Calais are treated to “dance parties” in a custom built “theatre” courtesy British “open borders” activists.
The venue – a dome-shaped tent called the Good Chance Theatre – was erected by activists in October, and again on the 30th September. It joins the shops, Afghan cafe, bars serving cheap beer and cinema that now make up the burgeoning “Jungle” shantytown in northern France.
The theatre-cum-nightclub was founded by British playwrights Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, who plan on coaching migrants to stage weekly productions there, as well as hosting touring productions by theatre companies and artists from around the world.
Speaking to The Stage, Murphy said he and Robertson had initially just wanted to perform for the migrants, but decided to create a “safe place” for them to have a good time, too.
He added: “We say it’s a theatre, and it is, but it performs many functions really. It’s across all art forms, it’s a meeting place – a townhall-cum-theatre – and it’s a really exciting and loved place to be in the camp here.”
Endorsing the project, producer Sonia Friedman said: “I had to get behind it. I think this is a beautiful idea. The truth is, theatre and the arts can change situations, can pressurise, relieve and help.”
Adding: “This project goes right to the heart of the problem. It is attempting to connect with thousands of people in a desperate situation, and through storytelling, music, dance and poetry, provide some way of coping. This is communication locally, nationally and globally. It is too important to ignore.”
Murphy explained how the venue is still evolving: “We’re slowly adding chairs into it, we’ll soon add a curtain into it, we’ve got a couple of lights, and we’re adding slowly to the mix,” he said.
The men said the name Good Chance had been chosen because, when they first visited the camp, they heard refugees talking of “no chance” or “good chance” each night.
“We asked and found it meant how likely they thought crossing the border would be that night. And it stuck. The theatre offers a different kind of good chance,” said Murphy.
However, in reality, the chance of the migrants actually crossing into the UK is slim, such that many wonder why they have chosen to live in the camp instead of claiming asylum in France if they are indeed the “desperate” asylum seekers many claim they are.
Last week, Breitbart London reported on a Bradford charity which has stopped sending aid to Calais after realising that much of it is “dumped and burnt” and that 97 per cent of the “refugees” are in fact fit, young men with “no real reason” to be there.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.