The Suspect Culture Book

I’m thrilled to say that Oberon Books have commissioned me and Graham Eatough to edit The Suspect Culture Book which will be a record, tribute and introduction to the Scottish theatre company, Suspect Culture.

I’m pleased because Suspect Culture have not had the full recognition that they deserve. Partly because they were based in Scotland; partly because they rarely played London (only Timeless, Mainstream, and Static, I think) and also because their mixture of experimentalism with a strong interest in text and narrative made them hard to place. But their body of work is truly impressive.

I was involved with the company personally from the beginning, but only as a friend and supporter. I actually designed lights on their first two shows, but mainly I supported, sometimes from afar. In the early 2000s, I wrote the first academic article that surveyed and interpreted their work. Then in the mid-2000s, I started working with them. I was part of the team that made Futurology. I wrote Static. And then I contributed Theatremorphosis to Stage Fright. I’ve known David, Graham, and Nick for over twenty years (they were all at my wedding). I’ve seen most of their shows and I’m very proud that I’ll now play my part in helping fix their legacy and publish selections from their archive.

The book will contain the full texts and associated materials for three Suspect Culture shows - Timeless, Mainstream, and Lament - with essays, interviews, and a wealth of photographic material. The publication is supported by the Scottish Arts Council. It will be out in Spring 2011.