{"id":157,"date":"2020-04-07T16:56:58","date_gmt":"2020-04-07T16:56:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/?p=157"},"modified":"2022-02-05T12:56:46","modified_gmt":"2022-02-05T12:56:46","slug":"pip-utton-and-his-masks-pip-utton-i-jegomaski","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/pip-utton-and-his-masks-pip-utton-i-jegomaski\/","title":{"rendered":"Pip Utton and his Masks\/ Pip Utton I jegoMaski"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Nick Awde and Tomasz Milkowski<\/strong>
206 pp. IATC Poland<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reviewed by Don Rubin<\/strong>*<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is volume 16 in a useful Polish monograph series on the art of what is called Monodrama, the current name for what has long been called one-person shows. I have never been quite sure why the critical world really needed this curious term for solo performances, but it has become popular, particularly in parts of eastern Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The series itself (called Little Black Book with Hamlet<\/em> in its original Polish) was started back in 2007 by the late critic-scholar Andrjez Zurkowski and now includes volumes ranging from Monodrama theory to Monodrama practice to in-depth interviews with well-known Monodramatists and actors specializing in the form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the volumes exist only in Polish and have therefore been accessible only to those who read that language. This latest volume\u2014focusing on the art of Britain\u2019s Pip Utton\u2014happily appears in both Polish (the first half of the volume) and English (the second half of the volume). The two halves are separate but equal, translations of one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those not familiar with Pip Utton, he is a U.K.-based actor who has been specializing in the form since 1997, when he left a career in business to try his hand on the stage. He has since written a dozen pieces\u2014most no longer than one hour, which have been played in some 26 countries and which have been translated into eight languages. A particular favourite at the Edinburgh Fringe for many seasons, he has also had great popularity in Holland and, as this volume shows, in Poland as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His work is clearly satirical and often includes direct banter with the audience. In that sense, one can compare him to artists such as Pieter-Dirk Uys in South Africa and the solo puppeteer Ronnie Burkett in Canada, who do the same type of solo work and who also make direct connections with their audiences. Utton specializes in shows about historical figures including Adolph Hitler, Francis Bacon, Charlie Chaplin, Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill and Maggie Thatcher, among others. Having never seen Utton perform (mea culpa<\/em>), I can only say that I got a real sense of his work and aesthetic from both the perceptive critical overview written by Polish critic Tomasz Milkowski and the extended interview done with Utton by Nick Awde, a playwright, a sometimes cartoonist and co-editor of London\u2019s The Stage<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utton comes across in both the overview and the Q and A (as well as in a series of anonymous questions from members of the Wroclaw Theatre Society) as modest, amiable and articulate. He says in one response that the notion of Monodrama itself \u201cis rooted in eastern Europe\u201d (149), and he links it to storytelling. He says frankly that it seems to have grown in recent decades because of simple economics\u2014one actor is cheaper than many actors, and a small show is easier to tour than a large show to festivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He notes the work of several others utilizing the form, including Lithuania\u2019s Birute Mat and Alexandras Rubinovas, South Africa\u2019s Kurt Egelhof and Poland\u2019s Mateusz Novak and Violeta Kumar. He says that the form allows him as an actor \u201cthe freedom and privilege to speak directly to my audience . . . to look into an audience\u2019s eyes, to make very intimate contact with the audience. . . . An actor cannot do this when he\/she spends most of their time talking to fellow performers\u201d (181\u20132).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is certainly something to that last comment. If Monodrama begins to be theorized more deeply and starts to spread its histrionic wings into contemporary academe, this sense of audience and intimacy may well prove to be an important starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The series is not easily available, but this volume (ISBN 978-83-954374-0-3) may change that situation. It can also be purchased by directly contacting the Polish Centre of the IATC. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

*<\/a>Don Rubin<\/strong> is Managing Editor of Critical Stages<\/em> and editor of its Book Review section. He is the series editor of Routledge\u2019s six-volume World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre<\/em> and founding Editor of the Canadian Theatre Review<\/em>. He is Professor Emeritus and Senior Scholar in the Department of Theatre at Toronto\u2019s York University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copyright \u00a9<\/strong> 2020 Don Rubin
Critical Stages\/Sc\u00e8nes critiques<\/em> e-ISSN: 2409-7411<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Creative<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This work is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution International License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":159,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-reviews"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2020\/04\/CS-21-Cover-PIP-1.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":473,"url":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/poland-internet-theatre-and-insufficient-state-support-for-the-artists\/","url_meta":{"origin":157,"position":0},"title":"POLAND: Internet-theatre and Insufficient State Support for the Artists","author":"Don Rubin","date":"May 8, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Tomasz Mi\u0142kowski* Theatres in Poland have been closed since March 12, 2020. Likewise, cinemas, restaurants, cafes and sports facilities. The pandemic has frozen economic and social life. The theatre\u2014after a short, initial period of shock\u2014has moved temporarily to the internet; actually, it has had a presence there for a long\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Covid"","block_context":{"text":"Covid","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/category\/covid\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2020\/05\/flag-pl-400.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":176,"url":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/staging-postcommunism-alternative-theatre-in-eastern-and-central-europe-after-1989\/","url_meta":{"origin":157,"position":1},"title":"Staging Postcommunism: Alternative Theatre in Eastern and Central Europe After 1989","author":"Don Rubin","date":"April 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Edited by Vessela S. Warner and Diana Manole268 pp.\u00a0 University of Iowa Press Reviewed by Don Rubin* Alternative theatre. Or Pocket Theatre. Or Free Theatre. How about Caf\u00e9 Theatre? Or Off-Theatre. Or even Off-Off Theatre. Whatever one calls it, all these terms\u2014coined by experimental and\/or confrontational theatre artists world-wide over\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Book Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/category\/book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2020\/04\/Author-Don-Rubin-YU-Performed-Imaginaries-and-The-Kwagh-Hir-Review-200x300-1-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":172,"url":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/a-century-of-south-african-theatre\/","url_meta":{"origin":157,"position":2},"title":"A Century of South African Theatre","author":"Don Rubin","date":"April 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"By Loren Kruger*273 pp. Methuen Drama Reviewed by Temple Hauptfleisch** Note: Loren Kruger's response at the end of this review. In recent years, I have been having a great deal of fun delving into the recesses of numerous online archival sites, biographies, obituaries, blogs and other personal accounts of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Book Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/category\/book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2020\/04\/Temple_Hauptfleisch.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":110,"url":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/theatre-for-sounds-and-souls-or-the-polish-song-of-the-goat-and-its-quest-into-the-impossible\/","url_meta":{"origin":157,"position":3},"title":"Theatre for Sounds and Souls; or, The Polish Song of the Goat and Its Quest into the Impossible","author":"Don Rubin","date":"May 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Kalina Stefanova* Abstract This text is an attempt to delve into the idiosyncratic theatre world of the Polish Song of the Goat Theatre. By focusing on their productions inspired by Shakespeare, it attempts to trace the formation and development of a special \u201cvertical theatre reality\u201d\u2014something of urgent necessity in our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Special Topic"","block_context":{"text":"Special Topic","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/category\/special-topic\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2020\/03\/Image3-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2020\/03\/Image3-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2020\/03\/Image3-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2020\/03\/Image3-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":935,"url":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/czech-republic-austerity-of-movement-and-theatre-on-screen\/","url_meta":{"origin":157,"position":4},"title":"CZECH REPUBLIC: Austerity of Movement and Theatre on Screen","author":"Don Rubin","date":"May 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Martina Peckov\u00e1 \u010cern\u00e1*, Michal Zah\u00e1lka**, Jana N\u00e1vratov\u00e1*** Mapping Losses and the Set of Measures to Save Culture On March 11, 2020, the Czech government introduced extraordinary measures in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Arts and Theatre Institute in Prague has been mapping their impact on the cultural sector since\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Covid"","block_context":{"text":"Covid","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/category\/covid\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2020\/06\/flag-czech.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":911,"url":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/the-new-soundscape-of-global-culture-editorial-note\/","url_meta":{"origin":157,"position":5},"title":"The New Soundscape of Global Culture: Editorial Note","author":"Don Rubin","date":"June 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Octavian Saiu* This special topic of Critical Stages\/Sc\u00e8nes critiques feels genuinely . . . special, as it reflects the deep, eternal relationship between two artforms that share so much, yet remain fundamentally independent. What they share is not only an elementary reliance on sound and presence; they share the same\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Special Topic"","block_context":{"text":"Special Topic","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/category\/special-topic\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2020\/06\/Octavian-Saiu.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=157"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1105,"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157\/revisions\/1105"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/21\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}