pamphlet OUT NOW! Price 20p 32 pages packed with facts and arguments against the racist threat. Order now from Red Books, 182 Pentonville Road, London N1. Enquiries for bulk orders to Relgocrest A Satre Cuntil Dece Nor Theatre group, at the Hampstead A Seventh Man — Curious that we should review two plays about migrant labour in consecutive weeks. Following on from GAST s130e 3090 on or Jonn berders book a sevenin manis currenty showing in London, after touring the country. Berger's subject makes a skilful if somewhat uneven transition from book to Sta0e In the book, which we reviewed last year, Berger synthesised a certain economic analysis and understanding of the North Euro pean Caprause economies win ine surrectve out no ross fear experience or workers in the tringe economies or curope. i was this total view, enriched by Jean Mohr's extraordinary photographs of the day-to-day lives of migrants, Doweru. beemne away lavers or me proorem verore our eyes In this stage presentation the book has been reduced to a fairly one-dimensional vision of the migrant workers' experience, ine moment or cecision to me bom or rerum watch Is course no real return]. Consequently the driving forces behind the process, principally economic but reinforced ideologically, are disquised and ill-explained, reduced almost to personal choice and material ambition. The central motif -machines, men are given. From those without machines, men are • remains a mystery wnat also comes over from this production partially apparent when the book was first published, is the rapidly dated character of the vision. Phrases such as There's so much work ring rather hollow, spoken about a Germany where over a million are now unemployed. So, too, the shifts in the Joan Ann Manara • Jo mose wno nave CAHL GAHUNCH WHicH was specific problems which 'guest-workers today experience which include physical attacks by the right, increased harass ment by governments, the run-down of work and more stringent The vital sparks of resistance, which have won isolated victories tor miorant oroanisation uo ano down curope, are arsi ignored here, as in the book. Furthermore, the whole problem of unionisation and relations with the indigenous workforce, which berter wires on i oclaus virtuary misone For me the play was disappointing despite its many strengths which include an evocative music-score by Dave Brown and many structured from Berger's words and sung by • oleran manona as une centrai _characten , carried total conviction, but most of the rest of the normally excellent Foco Novo cast looked ill-at-ease as migrant workers, praying mem insted Inrougn rather Angroised stereo The closing scene, where a snazzily-dressed Georgiou returns as a sort of semi-alien invader forever suspended between urban cuture ano rura uncer develooment oroonwy comes cosest f power and emotion to Berger's extraordinary global vision of this hidden facet of late capitalism. But the rest more resembles the spirit or peral lament man a partin the process or social crange Next week: full page interview with JOHN BERGER
- Durham IS Secretary
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Challenge to Racism
, Adrian Mitchell's beautiful songs,
which proved so types.