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Acting in Solidarity

Author:	A G Reddie
Published By:	Darton, Longman and Todd (London)
Pages:	170
Price:	£12.95
ISBN:	0 232 52593 5

Reviewed by Corin Child.

Certainly, it’s a great idea for a book. Anthony Reddie has put together a number of road-tested drama sketches which he envisages will be used by others in an informal workshop environment. The scripts come with ‘post-sketch reflections’ and discussion questions, so that a group using the material can engage with its themes. Having read the introduction, I couldn’t wait to read on. This, I thought, is a great way of doing theology.

The problem is that Reddie writes much better theory than he does drama. The sketches are inconsistent in quality, and the humour can be laboured or lame. Reddie’s strongest characters have a recognisable voice (these are often black, reflecting the author’s interest in black experience and theology). But other characters are weak and the dialogue inauthentic. The effect is often twee, and doesn’t serve the discussion material well.

I enjoyed reading this book for its theology and sociology. Reddie is a lively thinker, and the book brings insights to such issues as inner-city living and unrealised prejudices. But I would not be eager to use these sketches in a church setting, and, since that is the book’s ambition, it is a bit of a disappointment.