The First Domino
The First Domino | |
---|---|
Written by | Jonathan Cash |
Date premiered | 19 May 2009[1] |
Place premiered | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
The First Domino is a 2009 English play about a fictional terrorist bomber, written by Jonathan Cash, who was injured in the 1999 bombing of the
In 1999, Cash was standing in the pub when the third and final nail-bomb exploded in a campaign targeting minorities. He received compensation, and used it to fund a university course in Dramatic Writing. Some years later, he developed a
In 2011, comparisons were drawn between the terror campaign, the play, and the attacks in Norway.
Background
The First Domino play takes its name from the domino effect, and was written as a response to a real-world nail bomb attack.[2]
In 1999,
On Friday 30 April 1999, a sunny evening after work, Jonathan Cash – author of the play
It was the loudest, most alien noise I have ever heard. It ripped through the building. I really can't say how long it lasted; a few seconds perhaps. I can't remember, but there was a crunch of something solid, something structural. But what I can remember is the acrid smell, the sulphurous dust. My ears were ringing, my eyes were smarting, the dust filled my nose making it hard to breathe.
— Jonathan Cash, Pink News[7]
Three people died as a result of the blast (including a pregnant woman) and many more were seriously hurt,[4] including Cash, who was standing close to the bomb; he received injuries to his back and shoulder, and burns to his face and legs.[1][2]
Cash received financial compensation, and used it to fund an MA in Dramatic Writing at the University of Sussex, saying he "wanted to do something positive with the money".[1]
Cash perceived Copeland as wanting to be the first domino, setting off a race war.[4]
Plot
The opening scene shows a young man kneeling on a Union Jack, manufacturing a bomb, which is left menacingly on the stage.[11] We meet him some time later, in a top-security prison, convicted for terrorism. He is interviewed by a psychiatrist who is engaged in research on sociopaths for an academic paper. The bomber's belief system, incorporating violent racism and homophobia, is revealed – causing the audience to question their own beliefs.[11] A series of psychological games starts between the prisoner and the psychiatrist, which challenges the audience's conceptions. Secrets are gradually revealed, reality is distorted, and the play ends with a surprising twist.[12] It is a play about hatred, which illustrates how violence breeds more violence. The complex relationship between bomber and psychiatrist fails to result in a solution.[11]
Reception
A preview in The Guardian in May 2009 said it had "surprising twists [...] as the plot thickens",[1] and one reviewer said it was "one of the most honest and hard hitting plays I have seen".[13] The play received that year's Best Theatrical Performance Award.[14]
A representative of the Gay Police Association hoped the play would raise awareness; the GPA helped to raise money for producing it, and recollections from the police influenced the story.[1]
Development
It was several years after the bombing before Cash was able to write about the events with objectivity.[1] He wrote The First Domino as part of his M.A. Dramatic Writing course at the University of Sussex,[2] where he met Faynia Williams, who encouraged the development and directed the production.[1][2]
The play was produced by the Brighton Theatre and directed by Williams.
Cash and Williams's production company, Brighton Theatre, presented the play at
Cash was then commissioned by production company Unique (part of UBC Media Group) to rewrite the play for BBC Radio 3's series of single dramas The Wire. The completely re-imagined piece was first broadcast on Saturday, 9 October 2010.[14] The cast list included Toby Jones, Joseph Kloska, Claire Price and Struan Rodger.[14][16]
Less than a year later, Cash was quoted in The Guardian in a piece reacting to the
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ella Marshall (13 May 2009). "Jonathan Cash has written a play based around the Soho pub bombing". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Emily-Ann Elliott (5 May 2009). "Bomb survivor writes Brighton play". The Argus. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
- ^ a b c Simon Edge. "Look Back in Anger". Gay Times. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ a b c "On This Day: Dozens injured in Soho nail bomb". BBC. 30 April 1999. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
- ^ a b "Outrage marks new departure not just for Norway but for Europe in general – The Irish Times – Mon, Jul 25, 2011". 25 July 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
- ^ Nick Hopkins, Sarah Hall (30 June 2000). "David Copeland: a quiet introvert, obsessed with Hitler and bombs". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
- ^ a b c Jonathan Cash (30 April 2009). "Admiral Duncan bombing: The day my life changed forever". Pink News. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ Buncombe, Andrew; Judd, Terri; and Bennett, Jason. "'Hate-filled' nailbomber is jailed for life", The Independent, 30 June 2000.
- ^ Hopkins, Nick and Hall, Sarah. "David Copeland: a quiet introvert, obsessed with Hitler and bombs", The Guardian, 30 June 2000.
- ^ Attewill, Fred. "London nail bomber must serve at least 50 years", The Guardian, 2 March 2007.
- ^ a b c Nicholas Quirke. "Brighton Fringe 2009, The First Domino". Fringe Review. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ "Jonathan Cash". The Playwrights Database. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ a b c Howard Young (20 May 2009). "Honest & Hard Hitting Play Based on Real Issues & Difficult Topics @ Latest Music Bar". Brighton Magazine. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Programmes – The Wire, The First Domino". BBC Radio 3. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
- ^ "Latest Homes Magazine » Archive » Living in Brighton: Rory Cameron". Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ "The First Domino". Unique production company, UBC Media Group. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
- ^ a b Hugh Muir (26 July 2011). "Hideously diverse Britain: Fighting the domino effect of intolerance". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
External links
- 10 Questions: An Interview with Jonathan Cash, Festival Previews blog