Iceberg

Company Name: Gay Sweatshop Theatre Company
Devised: A Gay Sweatshop production devised by the mixed company.
Cast: Noel Greig, Sandra Lester, Stephanie Pugsley, Angela Stewart Park, Philip Timmins
Year:1979

The late 1970s saw a rise in the National Front and there was a determined reaction from organisations on the Left such as the Anti-Nazi League to combat these right-wing ideologies. 1978 was also the time of the Reclaim the Night Marches, where women marched through the streets of Soho to draw attention to the link between pornography and violence against women. 1978’s production of Iceberg illustrated the links between the anti-fascist struggle and the daily oppression of women and Gays.

Gay Sweatshop now consisted of a new core group which included Angela Stewart Park, Stephanie Pugsley, Sharon Nassauer, Sandra Lester, Noel Greig, Jill Posener, John Hoyland and Philip Timmins. The members of the company were committed to the devising process and wanted every company member to contribute to the writing. This was a slow process but it ensured everyone felt involved in the production; the result was a show that was a personal yet collective statement.

Iceberg was toured around the UK, performing in Trades’ Clubs, political rallies and at Queen’s University in Belfast a rally was arranged against the play by the Democratic Unionist party.

See Noel Greig‘s video quote on Iceberg.

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