Preview: St Joan of the Stockyards, BOV

The award-winning Bristol Old Vic Young Company stage Bertolt Brecht’s darkly comic, cautionary tale of romance between a meat-packing tycoon and a Christian missionary.
1920s Chicago: an economic disaster looms. Manipulation of the stockyards by greedy profiteers and an over-production crisis have caused the meat-packing factories to close. Outside the factory gates the poor and unemployed wait, willing them to re-open in the hope of escaping the bitter grip of winter and poverty that looms. Revolution is in the air.
Into this tinderbox steps Joan Dark, a fearless fighter and religious advocate, on a spiritual journey to convert the masses and challenge oppression and injustice wherever she finds it.
Here’s director Nik Partridge to tell us more.

What made you want to direct this neglected play (and for a large ensemble, at that)?
Bristol Old Vic asked me to direct a scripted piece with the Young Company. I wanted to choose a classic piece that had a contemporary feel and that the young people could really have creative ownership over and stamp their identity upon.
This led me towards Brecht and, eventually, to St Joan of the Stockyards. I was drawn towards the energy, vibrancy and anger underlying the play and, at a time when we are questioning more than ever how the minority represent the needs of the majority, it seemed to have a relevance that would appeal both to the cast and to and to a contemporary audience.

The play shows religion as able to combat economic and social injustice. Could this still be true today?
I’m not sure religion has the same power now as it had when Brecht was writing the play, but it still has a significant influence on society – for better and worse. For me, one of the play’s most interesting aspects is its discussion of the concept of religious fundamentalism (as seen in St Joan) and its resultant effects.
It’s also probably worth noting that, whilst important, religion does not play the central role in the play. Rather, it forms a part of the debate about the relationship between those who hold power and those who are affected by it. 

As ever with Brecht, song is central to the action and atmosphere. Do these songs work themselves seamlessly into the action?
Brecht’s style is fascinating, particularly in this play. We switch from a heightened Elizabethan style, via Broadway musical, on to intimate realism. That sense of adventure with the style is what makes the show so much fun to perform and experience. Musical director Ben Osborne and I have worked hard to find a musical language that ties the play together and reflects the energy of the young performers. We focused in on the themes of religion, industry and the anger that underlies the piece to create a score that is part a capella bluegrass American hymns, part punk metal – and everything in between.  

How closely are the parallels drawn between the play’s heroine Joan Dark, and Joan of Arc?
Brecht follows the story of Joan of Arc pretty loosely and whilst there are obvious similarities between the two – religious fervour, martyrdom, manipulation and exploitation by those in power – the two stories do not align in any great detail. Again though, that is part of the fun of the play: Brecht takes a historical character and places her in a contemporary setting with a sense of play, imagination and relevance. 

St Joan of the Stockyards is at Bristol Old Vic Studio from Wednesday, January 13 to Saturday, January 16. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.bristololdvic.org.uk/stockyards.html