'This Room Is Not My Room'

Performance by Ruth Dillon and Parnab Mukherjee
Photography by Ruth Dillon
Part of 'Future Station' at Metal Liverpool
August 10th 2011

Reviewed by Tracey Dunn

Last July, Parnab Mukherjee curated a European Commission exhibition about rural and tribal artists in Delhi and Ruth Dillon took part. Mukherjee was invited to collaborate with Dillon in a multimedia performance piece for one night which resulted in 'This room is not my room'.

Mukherjee is an alternative theatre director, Shakespearian educator/director and a specialist in theatre for conflict resolution. Ruth Dillon is a local artist specialising in photography.

Mukherjee arrived in Liverpool with an interest in the 1981 Toxteth Riots and the next day began research with Dillon when a phone call informed them both that history was repeating itself on the streets of Liverpool 8.

The resulting performance starts with a background of Dillon’s photos which take us on a journey through the streets of Calcutta, interspersed with random symbols of resistance found in the street art. In front of this is placed an array of objects. These include a trunk, ladder, printed T-shirts, small cages, soft toys, a mask and a screwdriver. With these objects, Mukherjee takes us on an improvised journey making a rhythmic sound and utilising his props whilst delivering a monologue.

His story is of a transaction between two people but it comes with a twist as the things to be bought cannot be sold. "I want to buy your protest...I want to buy your dreams..I want to buy your silence..I want to buy your nightmares..I want to buy your poetry". Mukherjee wanders the area in front of the stop motion photos instructing us to make our lives more effective and different.

He shows a projection of a woman on hunger strike and a South East Asian man setting himself on fire. These representations of personal resistance contrast with the events playing out on the local streets of Toxteth as people rioted during Mukherjee's residency.

The piece was constantly reminding us to live outside the box, challenge authority and go for the authentic life as opposed to conforming to the masses and consumerism.

Mukherjee travels in areas of South East Asia like Laos in Vietnam where he is very used to the regular street disturbances that occur constantly. He studies civil unrest and ways to bring peace to our lands. His way is original, disturbing, repetitive, moving, intense and unusual.

Mukherjee has written an extensive number of articles and books on theatre and direct resistance.

Ruth Dillon has recently completed work on Indian cultural heritage which has been exhibited at the World Museum and has plans to return to India and work with a number of women's groups.

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