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Forensic theatre
SIMON PARSONS applauds a remarkable dramatisation of process and the emotional repercussions of exhumation in Argentina

Rewind
New Diorama Theatre, London

THE Ephemeral Ensemble are a dynamic, multinational company whose work addresses questions of a social and political nature. Their latest production honours the work of the Argentinian Forensic Department set up in 1986 to identify the remains of some of the 30,000 desaparecidos who vanished during the Dirty War waged by the military junta on its people between 1974 and 1983.

The show opens with a brief introduction by a member of the cast reminding us of the importance of reclaiming our historical memory from any enforced narration, and especially for South American countries. References to our own recent restrictions on free speech and involvement during the Thatcher years in Argentina’s atrocities makes the following performance even more telling.

The hour-long show is a largely non-verbal performance following the exhumation of a young woman, interwoven with visions of her life and death and the effect on her grieving mother from years of searching.

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