By Cal
Link: https://ett.org.uk/watch-and-listen/phoenix
Available until: Unknown
Content warning: Strong language, references to coronavirus
Transcript: https://ett.org.uk/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Mike-Bartlett-Phoenix-TRANSCRIPT.pdf
Phoenix is a short story by Mike Bartlett, which is
read aloud by Bertie Cavell.
English Touring Theatre hoped to run a project called Signal
Fires, where audience members sat around fires for evenings of storytelling.
That couldn’t happen, but they have tried to reproduce the project online with
the short story, Phoenix.
It tells a story which will be familiar to many and it’s almost certainly based on a true event which I’m sure we all heard about. A man in a Government position is trying to deal with a global pandemic. He knows what is expected of him; what he should and shouldn’t do. But he’s not just a Government official who’s expected to do the right thing. He’s also a man with a wife and family. They have needs too.
The man has made his decision and now he has to live with
it, but so many things are passing through his mind as he contemplates what he
has done.
The main character (he’s given the name of Tim, but I’m sure
most people can guess his real name) isn’t immediately likeable, but the story
is compelling and Bertie Cavell’s storytelling is incredibly tense. We want to
know what Tim has done and what he’s going to do next, even if there is a
feeling that we might not like it.
By the end, you might feel a little differently… but you
might not. Whether you love or hate Tim (and his inspiration); whether you have
more understanding for his actions or not, this is a story that makes you think
about two contrasting forces which are present in most people’s lives – your
job and your family.
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