But it takes an inspired bit of casting to act it out.
A cast of sixty ten and eleven year olds bring you all the intrigue, tension, singing, dancing and politics of the Cuban Missile Crisis. This playful collaboration between Stan’s Cafe and one of Birmingham’s most adventurous primary schools tells the story of how Fidel Castro’s revolution in Cuba resulted in John F Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev leading the world to the brink of nuclear disaster. Witty, visually arresting, educational and highly ambitious, this promises to be an extraordinary production.
Stan’s Cafe have been committed to progressive work with schools for over a decade, and their working relationship with Billesley Primary School has seen the company recreate the giant Scalextric track used in 24 Hour Scalextric (2009) and their internationally touring installation work on population demographics, Of All The People In All The World on the grounds, extending art alongside education practice. This latest work, staged with live video link ups to newsreaders and set on a giant war-room like map, frames the nail-biting Kennedy/Khrushchev stand-off as a playground argument, with involvement from all sixty children, who will also be making the props and helping devise accompanying songs.
Stan’s Cafe Artistic Director James Yarker said: “I’m really scared. We’re working with sixty 10 and 11 year olds devising a show with very complicated subject matter and an audience which combines the rest of the primary school with the paying public. It’s exactly the kind of project Stan’s Cafe are here to do – if the idea of making the show isn’t terrifying it’s not worth making.”
He added, “Billesley must be one of the most adventurous primary schools in the country. They want learning in their school to be exciting and creative. So far we’ve managed to stretch the staff and pupils a lot, this is the first project that is putting us under a lot of pressure. We’ve tried to be as bold as possible. I think you have to raise the stakes very high if you want to win big – this could be fantastic.”
Stan’s Cafe (is a group of artists from a variety of disciplines, though primarily theatre practitioners, working under the artistic direction of James Yarker. The company consists of a core of long-term collaborators and a range of associated artists.
Any Fool Can Start a War, mac Birmingham, Cannon Hill Park. 16th July at 1.45pm, 17th July at 1,45pm and 7pm, £10 (£8 concs).
