The Inquisitor - theatre preview

Peter Arnott’s work is always political, but seldom didactic. The contemporary nature of Arnott’s vision is as well demonstrated in his recent Cyprus as in any of his work, for as this piece investigating the murky world of our intelligence services and their role in instigating the current conflicts in the Middle East toured, it was constantly updated to take account of current events.

Equally contemporary, and along very similar lines is this piece, despite its much older literary inheritance. Adapted from an episode in Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, this short piece tells the story of a man sent to interrogate a suspect arrested on terrorism related charges. As the interrogation proceeds, the possibly divine status of our suspect begins to emerge, and the interrogator begins to interrogate himself, his motives, and the nature of the current geopolitical conflict. Arnott sets up no soft targets for this piece, in which policemen and their suspects are seen as equally of flesh and blood. What emerges is as much an enquiry into what we believe in and where those beliefs come from as a political commentary on the current world. This piece seems of interest to anyone willing to question the assumptions of our governing ideologies. (Steve Cramer)
Oran Mor, Glasgow, Mon 24–Sat 29 Sep