Written and performed by: Cliff Cardinal
Cliff Cardinal begins his one-man show by telling us about the concept of a land acknowledgement. It’s a statement recognising that a piece of land has been taken out of the hands of the indigenous people who first lived there. This practice has become common in Canada and occurs at the beginning of events like hockey games, parliament meetings, plays and even Zoom meetings. Carter, who is of Cree and Lakota heritage, asks the question, if they’re not giving back the land, how meaningful really is this apology? With the aid of hard-hitting personal anecdotes and stark statistics, he goes on to describe how indigenous people continue to be mistreated, turning a very confrontational eye on the audience and our collective complicity in ongoing as well as historical oppression. It’s a powerful message, but there’s not much more going on in this 90-minute piece.
The title of the piece makes us think we’re going to get some Shakespeare, but early on Cardinal tells us that there will be no iambic pentameter or Forest of Ardenne. What was assumed in early performances to be the land acknowledgement before the play is in fact the whole piece, and it becomes an examination of the disingenuous virtue signalling the practice represents. Shakespeare in turn symbolises the cultural hegemony of the British Empire, as well as the kind of comfort theatre eagerly consumed by a mainly white, middle class audience.
A very awkward atmosphere is quickly created when Cardinal says “congratulations on the apartheid” to the people in the expensive seats. He makes sweeping statements about white people that show the type of stereotypes indigenous people are subject to. Some people start walking out. It’s unclear whether they’re leaving because they disagree with what he’s saying or if they just feel condescended to, or bored.
Part of the tension is created by Cardinal’s jokes, which don’t always land. At times it’s almost a stand-up set, but the audience doesn’t trust him, doesn’t know when to laugh, because they often become the unwitting targets of those cringe-inducing jokes. Though he is trying to make us laugh, he’s not here to make friends; he wants to show how angry he is, not to make us feel better about ourselves. He wants us to feel hurt.
When a play is so openly antagonistic to its audience, it’s hard to untangle whether you don’t like it because it’s underwhelming theatre or because you feel seen and icky with your guilt. Cardinal has created a kind of anti-theatre that doesn’t suspend disbelief or evoke any feeling of aesthetic satisfaction. It may be partly because the British sense of humour is different, but it feels like, despite a powerful message, tonight doesn’t quite strike the balance he was going for.
Runs until 23 May 2024
1 Comment
Despite the review, I think the performance by Cardinal was brave and timely. I don’t think you have to be Canadian to appreciate his words. He’s clear, confident, and not ashamed to call out in front of us all, what we don’t want to hear and feel. The discomfort of our shared and shameful history.
I give him 5 stars and think every Canadian should sit through his play/performance.