PLAYWRIGHTS

Hassan Abdulrazzak, Mojisola Adebayo, Zia Ahmed, Phil Arditti, Nina Bowers, Roxy Cook, Ed Edwards, Waleed Elgadi, Dawn King, Ahmed Masoud, Joel Samuels, Sami Abu Wardeh

CREATIVE TEAM

Directors - Cressida Brown and Kirsty Housley

Associate Artist / Director - Zainab Hasan

Lighting Design - Benny Goodman

Sound Design - Ed Lewis

Producer - Matthew Schmolle

Design Consultant - Georgia Lowe

Projection Consultant - Will Monks

Cutting the Tightrope

This collection of short plays audaciously explores the power of the arts in today's world events, political resistance and displays of artistic freedom.

Following a sell-out debut at London’s Arcola Theatre in 2024, Cutting the Tightrope dives into the ever-tightening grip of censorship on artistic freedom. Created in response to silence around Palestine on UK stages, this collection of political plays arrives at the International Festival with a fresh wave of urgency.

Written by a dynamic roster of playwrights, the pieces cut to the heart of contemporary struggles – from war zones to the silencing of dissent. Praised as ‘powerful, important, moving’ by Ben Jamal, Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the show unflinchingly challenges the silencing of expression.

Expect an evening of daring, thought-provoking theatre that refuses to shy away from the truth. These voices demand to be heard.

"Last year, Arts Council England warned arts companies and those who work for them against making overtly political or activist statements. This collection of short plays is the urgent artistic response to that moment and audaciously explores the power of the arts in today's world events, political resistance and dialogue around artistic freedom" - Nicola Benedetti, Festival Director

117 - (c) - David Monteith-Hodge - Photographise please credit - Cutting the Tightrope - (

164 - (c) - David Monteith-Hodge - Photographise please credit - Cutting the Tightrope - (

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REVIEWS & RESPONSES

‘’An essential, raging and ranging collection of works flashing with humour and teeth [...] A must-see.’’ - Fringe Review

‘’Cutting the Tightrope may not tidy the world, but it makes the case – loudly, vulnerably – that art should risk its voice when lives are at stake’’ - Broadway Baby

★★★★★ ‘’An outstandingly well-written collection of short plays that interrogate political censorship within British theatre and beyond’’ - Everything Theatre

★★★★★ ‘’Bold, confronting and performed with sincerity and skill, Cutting the Tightrope is a rebellious collection of short political plays that packs a serious punch.’’ - The Queer Review

★★★★ ''What is the point of theatre, if not this?’. Hats off to the vision, grit and determination of the whole team to use the arts and culture as a true platform for political change.’’ - A Young(ish) Perspective

★★★★ ''A powerful collection of short plays exploring themes of censorship and freedom of expression’’ - The Wee Review
★★★★ ''A brave and vital collection of plays concerning the UK’s censorship’’ - THE LIST

★★★★ ''Cutting the Tightrope is a powerful piece of no-holds barred theatre’’ - The Herald

★★★★ ''Cutting the Tightrope confronts political censorship in art through a range of new short plays’’ - The Skinny

★★★★ - British Theatre Guide