GZP Edmonton

Banner Theatre, based in Birmingham,UK and GZP Edmonton are beginning to develop a new show about the situation for workers in the UK and Canada since the 2008/09 global economic collapse.

This show will be constructed of a large number of short [15 minute] segments, each telling different stories. This flexible performing format has evolved over the last few Banner shows, notably They Get Free Mobile Phones, Don’t They? and We Share the Same Sky. New computer technology has enabled each show’s units to be presented in whole or in part, even mixing material from both shows. Don Bouzek participated in the creation of both shows.

Banner presented an initial segment of the show, titled Embedded With the Bankers, which focused on the economic collapse itself and how it was covered by the media. Dave Rogers, Banner’s A.D., and Don began by interviewing Paul Mason, an economics editor for the BBC, who had recently published a book about the crisis. We followed up with Nick Davies, a reporter with The Guardian newspaper, another BBC reporter and a dissident Labour MP. Don edited the video material here in Edmonton and revised it through internet video conferences with the performance team in Birmingham.

Our aim is to generate, for the first time, Canadian units for this show. GZP is working to involve provincial public sector unions in Canada.