"…As we utterly condemn those responsible for the slaughter, we recall the chilling words of edmund Burke that ‘the only thing that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’. For it is to the shame of the international community that this evil took place under our noses, and we did nothing like enough. I bitterly regret this, and I am deeply sorry for it."Thus runs an excerpt from Foreign Secretary Jack Straw’s recent address marking the tenth anniversary of the massacre in July 1995 at Srebrenica, Bosnia. The irony is merciless; given a decade, and continued inaction over genocide in darfur, western Sudan, Straw will repeat these words.The Foreign Secretary is, no doubt, a man of sincere intentions. At the Labour Party conference he promised to put the UN resolution passed at September’s World Summit on the "Responsibility to Protect" against victims of crimes against humanity and genocide, at the heart of British foreign policy. He referred to those murdered in Rwanda and Srebrenica that would have been saved had a "Responsibility to Protect" policy been implemented at that time. But the Foreign Secretary did not refer to darfur. In the size of Iraq, 300,000 non-Arab Africans have died since early 2003 and two million people continue to languish, starve and die, trapped in dangerous refugee camps, completely reliant on humanitarian aid and vulnerable to Arab militia attacks at night. The Government of Sudan has sponsored and supported locally recruited Arab militias to rid the land of non-Arabs and corral them in the camps. The devout Muslim communities in the camps now suffer from diseases and a batch of social problems new to these people, including alcoholism and sexual abuse. Straw’s neglect to mention the genocide – descriptive of Foreign Office policy towards the Sudanese government – is nothing short of acquiescence in fiction, evasion of reality. Britain and the international community continue to accept the lie that the African Union (AU) can provide protection for civilians and humanitarian aid workers in What a convenient motto "African solutions to African problems" has been to avoid action. The reality is that insecurity and lack of protection puts hundreds of thousands of innocent lives at risk over the coming months. Although the 6,000 troop African Union Mission in Sudan has been effective where it operates, its half-baked observer mandate and wholesale lack of resources prevent it from attaining any potency. The nations that comprise the AU are certainly not displaying the political will necessary to reach its target of 12,000 AMIS troops in spring 2006. The UN has recently been compelled to withdraw all non-essential staff from western A recent attack on the Aro Sharow refugee camp forced 4,000-5,000 innocent civilians to flee; at least 34 were killed. Insecurity now blocks access to "around 650,000 refugees in South and West darfur" according to UN officials. Reuters noted, "British aid agency Oxfam said it could not access any of its West darfur camps by road and were concerned fuel for water pumps could run out, leaving tens of thousands of refugees without access to water."The recent report of Juan Mendez, UN Special Advisor to the Secretary General on Genocide Prevention, noted: "There has been no visible effort by the Government of Sudan to disarm the [Janjaweed] militia or hold them to account in accordance with past agreements, including the N’djamena Agreement, the Abuja Protocols, and Security Council resolutions."Darfur continues to be ignored not only at the international level but at Sudan’s internal peace accords over the two-decade north-south civil war. Sudan is a key provider of anti-terrorist information to the US, and over half of Sudan’s huge revenue from oil comes from China. The recent blockage from the US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, of Juan Mendez’s report to the UN on is particularly telling of a hard US determination not to act.It is now blatantly and brutally obvious that something must change. The international community must face the reality in and do the politically unpalatable: it must protect darfur’s African men, women and children. Aegis Trust, joined by many other organisations and politicians, proposes that the UN must work with the African Union to bolster the AMIS force to at least 12,000 immediately. The UN must propose a peace enforcement mandate for AMIS. This stronger mandate would send a huge political signal that the international community is serious about "Responsibility to Protect".Once security is provided and a dramatic increase in pressure is brought to bear on Sudan’s government, the nation may have a chance of peace. Belief in fiction in order to avoid fundamental responsibilities is utterly unacceptable. "Good men" like Jack Straw are key players who can make a difference if they choose to face the realities of 21st century genocide. In British foreign policy, as in the United Nations and African Union, protection of human life must take a towering precedence over considerations of strategic interest.Jonathan Bower is President of the Oxford Aegis Society  ARCHIVE: 5th week MT 2005

A Doll’s Housedir Tom Littler15 – 18 NovemberThe MoserYou are requested not to mention Ibsen’s Doll’s House!” – such was the cry of many a social invitation in 1879, where even discussing the Norwegian playwright’s classic treatmentof a woman’s role in a patriarchal society was enough to incite scandal. In this production, however, director Tom Littler consciously shifts the emphasisaway from a female struggle in a male-dominated world to the universal struggle to assert personal freedom, and fulfil our “duty to ourselves.” What so shocked spectators in the nineteenth century – the idea that a heroine could lie to her family, and even put herself before her husband – is not what shocks audiences in the twenty-first century. However, Littler creates a fresh impact by bringing the human condition, and not social conditions, to the fore, questioning the motivations of Ibsen’s characters while investigating the relationshipbetween loyalty and liberty.The staging reflects the contemporarynature of such themes; the action is wrenched firmly away from the stuffy Victorian lounges in which it is normally found and thrown firmly into the present day, presenting us with a meticulously recreated present day living room. With the play also being performed outside Oxford, designer Pip Swindall has a far greater budget to work from than we would expect from a Moser production, and it shows. The lavish set, carpeted and fully decorated, creates a perfect naturalistic backdrop, encouraging the audience to lose themselves in the confines of Nora’s domestic world. The realism restores the immediacy that would have greeted original audiences by placing Nora Helmer’s distressing story within the comfortable surroundings of an average middle-class home. A doll’s house itself sits ominously among the possessions, a reminder of Nora’s trapped state, merely a toy to be played with, as and when her family chooses, while the merry Christmasadornments stand in stark contrast to the increasingly fraught emotions of the various characters. Christmas carols drift disquietingly through the play, their joyfulness ravaged by white noise, or by the creak of a door, a leitmotif that hints menacingly at the play’s shattering conclusion. The naturalistic set is punctured by a projection screen, doubling as a window, where shifting images convey the internal worlds of Ibsen’s characters, helping to clarify their inner thoughts and desires.The acting is almost invariably excellent, a high degree of naturalism meaning we often forget we are watchinga theatrical performance. Claire Palmer beautifully captures Nora’s conflict of loyalties, and provides a powerful and intensely empathetic focus for the play, carrying herself wonderfullyin an incredibly draining role. Kane Sharpe, as her husband Torvald, creates the archetypal modern professional;charming, condescending and reputation-obsessed, he is not simply a fierce misogynist but a loving husband, albeit one to whom a wife is a pet. Their initial playful exchanges, where Torvald teasingly reprimands his little “squirrel” for being a spendthrift, make their later exchanges all the more devastating, the contrast between the superficially happy family and Nora’s horribly constrained relationship with her husband brought into even sharper relief.The couple are well supported by Ben Galpin as the blackmailing Krogstadt, not presented as a one-dimensional evil but as a sympathetic character with understandablemotives, and Caz Brown, a world-weary, compassionate Kristine. The freshness of Ibsen’s dialogue makes it seem almost contemporary, and the cast approach it as such, with electrifying results. The staging can at times become overly static but the constantly engaging naturalism of the characters means it rarely becomes tedious.A Doll’s House is an emotionally exhausting piece of theatre, but a truly rewarding one, and while we may not be scandalised by this production, it provides a unique exploration into what our duty is to ourselves and to others. You are encouraged to discuss it.ARCHIVE: 5th week MT 2005

Don GiovanniCarte Blanche Opera Co.25 – 29 OctoberJacqueline du Pré Music Building, St Hilda’s CollegeIt is a sad fact that the general attitude towards opera at the momenttends to be unfavourable, especially among younger audiences, who choose to dismiss it as a rather inaccessible art form, deeply rooted in elitist high culture. Aimingto Aiming to destroy these misconceptions and widen opera’s appeal is the Carte Blanche Opera company with their production of one of Mozart’s most famous pieces, Don Giovanni..More familiar for their raunchy cabaret show Burlesk, and recent performancesof The Rocky Horror Show at the OFS, the company has taken it upon themselves to update Mozart’s classic, with the hope of drawing in a modern audience and breathing new life into this genre.Based on a legend that dates back to the Middle Ages, Don Giovanni is a depiction of hedonism in a fundamentallyCatholic Spanish society.. The opera tells the story of a man who is driven by his sexual desire, emotionallyabusing women in his pursuit of pleasure. ThroughouttheoperaThroughout the opera his behaviour and his conversations with servant and friend Leporello, establish Giovanni’s character and reveal the extent of his infidelities..In one infamous aria Leporello lists his friend’s sexual partners, informing the audience that Giovanni has slept with 2065 women. ToaneighteenthTo an eighteenth century audience, unaccustomed to modern, sexually-charged soap plotlines, his exploits would have been particularly deplorable, justifyingthe opera’s ending in which the protagonist is dragged down to hell. However, such behaviour does not carry the same charge as it did in its time and therefore the company have introduced elements of bondage and sadomasochism, in order for Giovanni’s exploits to make more of an impact on a modern-day audience. Furthermore, a “Goth” aesthetic has been used, locating the characters firmly within 21st century social culture. These significant changes are certainly successful in updating the piece, but it is important to note that even without such adaptation, the opera is still accessible to current audiences. Ddrawing on universal and timeless themes of love and fidelity, the opera remains as relevant today as it was in the Middle Ages.The production is successful not only in terms of interpretation, but also because of the performances of the company. This is a strong ensemblepiece, the orchestra and the performers working together to evoke Mozart’s powerful score. Although the acting is good throughout, the cast profess themselves to be singers before they are actors, a definite emphasis being placed on the musical aspects of performance. Indeed, the orchestra includes a member of the National Philharmonic and musicians from other top London orchestras. In terms of vocal performances, Jordan Bell is particularly outstanding as Leporello, immediately establishing a relationship with the audience, allowinghim to guide us through the piece. James Balance is also excellent in his role as the self-assured Ddon Giovanni, creating an air of arrogance from the moment he steps on the stage.The production itself is minimal with regard to props, the emphasis being on performance and, most importantly,Mozart’s music. Its impact is enhanced in the intimate venue of the Jacqueline Ddu Pré Building at St Hilda’s, the acoustics of which are particularly good. The size of the space also allows the company to draw the audience further into the story, making the performance more powerful. In essence, this is an excellent update of a classic opera, in which Mozart’s strong, multi-faceted characters are portrayed by a strong cast. It is not too difficult to follow, its main themes being easily recognisable. Those people who are unsure of the opera should take this opportunity to see an accomplished performance without having to pay Covent Garden prices.ARCHIVE: 5th week MT 2005

On a July evening in Cairo, Hussein Omar and I walked into “The place” or “Makan” as it is known to Egyptians. Outside, through the tiny window in the office of the director,policemen march up and down the street chatting loudly. The air is heavy and warm. It is here that we hear the Zar, an ancient female exorcism ritual still considered superstitious by many. A huge woman variously called Fatma, Azza or one of her other names, tells a story about love, backed by seven drummers and a tamboura (a kind of harp) player. Her job is to banish bad spirits through music, dance and song.When we saw this, we knew that we had found something rare, an art-form that speaks to the audience regardless of whether they understand what is said. I’ve always hoped that it is possible to be touched deeply by something in an act of theatre, regardless of the language one speaks, the culture one is embeddedin, and the politics one holds. We set off to Egypt, without a great deal of money, but with Mike Lesslie’s adaptationof Caldéron de la Barca’s The Constant Prince and an idea: to make a piece of theatre that would be a positive collaboration with Eegyptian musicians, and to present our work to an audience we had no knowledge of. I cast dancers, singers, actors and musicians all in the same piece in an attempt to broaden what we were offering, who we could speak to, to open up possibilities, and to try and forget what kind of thing we should be doing with a play, not least because we had no idea what to expect. I had originally hoped to devise a piece without set, lights or music, reliant on simply creating a space where we happenedto be. It soon became clear that this wasn’t to be. Instead, we created a show that was adaptable, but that clearly belonged on a stage. Lighting became a necessity, especially when we met with Saad Samir, a young Eegyptian lighting designer. He lit the show with a dance piece in mind, leaving only the musicians in a small flood the whole way through. They became witnesses to what the actors were doing, occasional participants, always commentators, accompanying the action throughout. This is a model of performance in some way borrowed from the Zar, in which the musicians get up and dance with their drums, joining the narrator, who has been standing throughout. The idea, presented in the show, of a stage needing “feeding” also grew out of our experiences in Eegypt: at the beginning of the piece, the musicians walk on and start playing to the empty space. Ragab Sadek, one of our musicians, explained that this prepares it for the story to take place.The tour was exhausting in many ways. Producing theatre in is a fraught business, and Avery Willis, in a superhuman feat, made the whole thing possible. We played in Cairo and Alexandria, always using independent venues, partly to avoid censorship, but also to make the play more accessible and to ensure that tickets were either free or cost next to nothing. The problemwith this was that some venues considered four hours to be ample get-in time, and whole diplomatic missions had to be undertaken to change this.The most grueling experience was perhaps our trip to Eel Minia. Ddescribed by Lonely Planet as the most dangerousplace in Egypt, we were required to have an escort, though this turned out to be not so much a motorcade as the local policeman. Run by a wonderful group of people, the theatre is the only cultural space in a town of one million, though this didn’t seem intimidating at all. On our way back we looked at our scant water supply and listened to our driver swearing on his mobile, and began to worry. Though in the end the play wasn’t allowed to travel to Minia, one day I hope to return, to meet the audience that packs out the tiny theatre in the desert every time a show comes to town.The company perform in London, 21-27th November. www.arcolatheatre.comARCHIVE: 5th week MT 2005

The CollectionAlanis MorissetteOut 14 November« « « « «Since the glory days of her hugely successful debut, Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette has been splitting opinion. Many only claim to like the fantastically accessible though dictionary defying Ironic, but still her albums sell in the millions. Ten years on from this, Morissette has decided its time to do what all good musicians do, especially in the run-up to Christmas, and release a singles compilation.The Collection boosts Alanis’ “hand picked” selection of songs from the past ten years of her career. Admittedly this has turned out to be an almost complete list of her single releases, but full marks for taking the time to pick out the bad ones.Still, this album will be an essential addition to the CDd collection of any Morissette fan, encompassing a range of classics from the mid and late-90s as well as newer material. Her sassy interpretation of Cole Porter’s Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall In Love), from the 2004 film De-Lovely about Porter’s life, acts as a nice complement to Morissette’s own rather more hard hitting list songs, as well as her more recent cover of Seal’s Crazy.The Collection begins with the unfailingly familiar opening strains of Thank U, the only note-worthy single success from second album Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. The core of the album, however, comes mainly from Jagged Little Pill and her surprisinglygood 2004 album So Called Chaos. The five singles taken from Jagged Little Pill are immediately recognisable to anyone who listened to music in the late 90s. Still, they represent a mixed bag, from You Oughta Know, the ultimate song for the dumped, through to the flowing and simple You Learn.More surprising to those who haven’t followed Morissette’s more recent releases will be the two tracks taken from So Called Chaos. Eight Easy Steps is a racing blast of pop rock simple splendour. Simple in structure it lyrically satirises self-help, while musically capturing the sweeping momentum of new ideas. Meanwhile, Everything shows that Morissette can carry off the slow, quiet, last-track type of rock – but only just. This is in stark contrast to the edgier Uninvited, which bubbles from solitary piano and vocals to splintering string accompaniedrock fullness.However, for all its fine songs this new Morissette anthology contains a few mistakes. It drifts towards the end into strained instrumentals and downright weirdness. Such an exampleis Mercy, which is a cross between a choral hymn and West African gospel, sung in Hungarian. Also, Morissette’s core fans will probably not appreciate the straight joy and fun of The Porter. In a world where she is now increasingly having to compete with musicians like fellow angry Canadian female rocker Avril Lavigne, Morissette must continue to produce the deeply felt personal and moody lyrics which this compilation celebrates.Still, the album as a whole captures the essence of Morissette over the past ten years and neatly shows the development of her angsty rock songs of the 1990s and an ever more eclecticrange in the early 2000s. With her lyrics, always a mix of the profane and the profound, she has become one of the sounds of the post-grunge style. An entertaining, engaging and all-together great eighty minutes listening.ARCHIVE: 5th week MT 2005