19:45, Tue 9th – Sat 13th November 2004 at Christ's New Court Theatre
Michaelmas Week 5

"Don't leave your kids alone to play with fire."

January 16th 1969. A Czech student named Jan Palach sets fire to himself in Wenceslas Square, in protest against the Russian invasion. On January 17th 1969, he was headline news - but the evening edition of any decent newspaper carries a new headline. Was his sacrifice doomed to failure? How can any of us make a difference? Can we express ourselves better through advertising slogans than we can through Shakespeare? Palach is a patchwork of texts, sound and images that dissects the nature of theatre, communication and protest. Performed simultaneously on four mini-stages, you are invited to choose what to watch - and what to think.

Picture c/o: http://archiv.radio.cz/palach99/images/okraj2.jpg