MACRUNE'S GUEVARA
1983
 

Source unknown - “Suffering for art’s sake”   Top

The old adage about suffering for your art yesterday became a harsh reality for members of the Cumbernauld Youth Theatre.

In an effort to “get into character,” 14 young actors and their director, Mr John Haswell, risked life and limb tackling an assault course at the ministry of Defence training centre in Dumbartonshire.

Supervised by members of the 1^st and 15^th battalions of the parachute regiment, the youngsters scaled walls and scrambling nets, balanced precariously above water on slippery poles, and game passable imitations of Tarzan as they swung by rope from obstacle to obstacle.

As if this wasn’t enough, they had to bear the “encouragement” bellowed at them by the instructors.

The training undertaken by the youngsters as part of preparations for their latest play, “Macrune’s Guevara,” which tells the story of Che Guevara and the revolutionary struggle in South America.

Although they had been rehearsing for more than two months, the director felt their performances lacked realism.

Mr Haswell said: “In the show all the actors are playing either guerrillas or Bolivian soldiers, and I therefore felt, that it was important they understood at least some of the realities of military life.”

To the surprise of the paratroopers, the youngsters, all aged between 10 and 21, gave a good account of themselves.

Warrant Officer Peter Crabb, who supervised the exercise, said: “I thought they showed great strength, determination and individual guts while managing to maintain an element of discipline while under stress.”

The play opens tonight at the Cumbernauld Theatre for a three-night run.

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