Chris Cooper’s new monodrama Benched offers a view of the current world from the side-lines of society. The man on the park bench relates his experience of the world to a new-born baby sleeping in a pram. The narratives he uses to explain events that link the present social, economic and cultural crisis to his own everyday life are not his own and gradually they are woven into a story in which reality can’t be separated from fiction, lie from truth, cruelty from responsible behaviour with tragic consequences.

The 40 minute performance opens up questions about the role of stories and ideology in our lives. These questions are explored further interactively through workshops utilising a drama and theatre methodology.

The program is aimed at age 16 and above.  It is flexibly designed to accommodate a variety of settings from classrooms to studio theatres, and educational needs which can be applied across the curriculum. It is also possible to use Benched as a part of our training courses.

 InSite will premier Benched in May in collaboration with  Trafo.