a one-to-one performance about debt
“A brilliant bizesize event”
– Lyn Gardner, The Guardian, August 2013“This performance, though dwelling in fantasy, actually changes people’s lives outside the theatre walls.”
– Sarah Hardie, Line Magazine, May 2011selected by The Guardian UK as one of the best shows of the Edinburgh Fringe 2013 – in the “But Is It Art?” category!
The Show
Trapped in a maze of final demands from which you may never escape? Pestered by obligations to friends, family and the television? Cowering under the weight of your debts? What We Owe is the highly unqualified debt counselling service FOR YOU. We’ll lead you through the journey of what you owe – not just financially, but also emotionally, socially, ecologically, and more. In just 20 minutes, we promise to leave you lighter and happier – or at least with a colour-coded spreadsheet. Vanquish your debt monsters! Burn your student loan statements! Ignore your friends! In an economy driven by huge financial debts, What We Owe is a tragicomic look at what we mean by debt, and how we might struggle to even begin to cope with it.
What We Owe has been performed at festivals including Arches Live (Glasgow), Forest Fringe (Edinburgh) and Rogue’s Galleries (Chester), as well as with Artsadmin, LIFT, the New Theatre Institute of Latvia and Bunker Solvenia as part of Imagine 2020 network events.
Specifications
What We Owe is a one-to-one performance lasting 20 minutes per audience member, including changeover time. It can be performed in any space with room for two chairs and a desk, and is particularly well-suited to offices and rooms that feel like them. The performance can run for up to 4 hours (12 performances) per day, and can be booked for a single day or for up to a fortnight. The performance is technically simple, requiring venues to provide only:
- A desk and two chairs
- A power socket
- Two flipcharts or other large writing surfaces
- One usher or assistant.
Harry Josephine Giles 