(CAST Co-ordinator)
The problem of the Cartoon Archetypical Slogan Theatre today is that it is already too well known, It must seem strange that a socialist propaganda theatre should re-act to public recognition, but it is the case, Two years ago, when we first started the troupe, we were faced with the challenge that there was no need in this country for a socialist agit.prop. theatre and that all that could be said in the media of theatre was being carried out by the established playwrights and theatre companies. Then, as now, we believe otherwise. We developed a tactic which has eventually led us to success and now predicament. CAST would go to a small folk club, meeting, demonstration or working mans club and from nowhere out of the crowd, unheralded, four actors would emerge, place three chairs in the centre and proceed to shock the room and to gain its attention by performing seemingly improvised scenes. These scenes would be well-known cliches of modern day life, alienated enough so that an anti-imperialist theme could emerge. After gaining the audiences unexpected attention the actors would finish with a screamed moral point and walk back into the crowd - no names, no pack-drill. In these two years the troupe has grown a reputation for doing this and gradually it became that we were billed and used as a draw for such meetings, culminating into a position where people actually to to see these plays; sit themselves down and almost say to us "shock us", "entertain us", "we have heard that you do so, now is your chance to prove it", Therefore, on such occasions this objectivity from the audience has led to the removal of the "effect of our work", The"Protest Concert"on October 21st we fear will be just such a case. Of course 99.9% of the population of this country have not yet seen our plays and CAST plans to carry on using our original tactic (here we would make a plea to anyone who intends to use the troupe in the future to conform with our obvious need for the element of surprise).
The task that CAST now faces is that we have to find a new way of approach, It seems now that we must plan to go into a slum area of London and set up an entirely new approach, for we are quite sure that,from what we have learnt, we can develop, in a small way, a cultural arm for the new growing revolutionary corssiousness which we optimistically believe is growing in some areas of our country. It will take years, but we hope to find a formula and, if this proves to be of use, it is our sole aim to share it with all who will find a use for it. Meanwhile, CAST needs help, especially in the untrained acto field. Anyone devoted enough to spend most of their leisure hours working with us and learning with us will be more than welcome, Finally, I would like to say that of course the troupe is open to objective political discussion, . pues