Two best mates. One HUGE party. Luton pinned by austerity. The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return is an evening of noughties bangers and shots of shitty gin mixed with the chaos of violence. Following the successes of Untapped award-winning Blanket Ban, COMMON award-winning The Nobodies and Testament, this production continues Chalk Line’s remit of creating important socio-political work.
The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return aims to explore the beauty of youth against the harshness of the environment. Packed with swagger, it hurls at a rapid pace with linguistic vigour and unfolds in real time, all set to a backdrop of nostalgic hits. With violence on the streets, austerity in the neighbourhood, and a cracking house party that pulses round the corner, this show presents a tapestry of restlessness.
Writer Sam Edmunds grew up in Luton and draws on his personal experiences as well as extensive conversations with young people and those who have been directly affected by the threat or consequences of knife violence. The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return tells an epic working-class story about impoverished young people fighting against an environment that aims to repress them. Through this, it explores how easily they can be drawn into violence and how anger, if left misdirected and uncontrolled, can lead to catastrophic events. It shines a light on the challenging circumstances that can so often stem from growing up in low socio-economic areas.
Sam Edmunds comments I wanted to write a play to deal with the enormity and epic-ness of what it means to grow up in an impoverished community surrounded by violence. This play is ultimately a reflection of my upbringing in Luton, but also about the town’s history and people. It wants to celebrate them as well as highlight the realities they live in. I was inspired to write a story which speaks to the restlessness of the working classes who are constantly repressed by our government, how easily young people can be pulled into violence and how we become a product of an environment built to suffocate us. The play tells us that things need to change, and I desperately want them to.
Venue:Â Summerhall (Demonstration Room), Summerhall Place, Edinburgh, EH9 1PL
