PRIVATE AGENDA. To 23 October.
Tour
PRIVATE AGENDA
7:84 Theatre Company Touring Scotland to 23 October 2004
Runs 1hr 20min + interval + discussion
Review: Timothy Ramsden 24 September at The Arches Glasgow
It's a crime. It's all true. It's happening now. And it's our money. In words gathered from workers in, and users of, the Health and Education services (plus a retired ex-Labour party member who provides a relaxedly sympathetic account of resisting tolls on the bridge to Skye), Private Agenda shows money pouring through the public services, like liquid through a sieve, into private pockets.
Millions go to consultants and accountants. But many more end up with contractors in a system known as PFI (Private Finance Initiative) or PPP (Public Private Partnership).
As drama Lorenzo Mele's production might allow audiences to draw a bit more breath as it moves between Highland hospitals, East Lothian schools and the road to Skye. And some of the rare moments spoken by pro-PFI characters could do with being played without obvious mockery.
But as public information it's invaluable. It should tour more widely (people in several places it visits, like Portree and Fort William, will find their lives affected by PFI). A half-way public-service TV station with a scruple of courage would broadcast a version - which, for balance, could be followed by the sort of debate held after each performance
I hope 7:84 will not only ensure the script is published (preferably in print and on its website) but will accompany it with some of the material it doubtless gathered but edited from the performing script.
PFI solves the problem of building new hospitals and schools (or refurbishing old ones) without raising taxes. Private companies build them then lease them to the public services for some 30 years. The lease is a public commitment; tax income may not be needed now to build, but will be tied up for decades to come.
Which might be OK if this were all a partnership. But while the NHS or local education authorities (this is happening throughout Britain, not solely in Scotland) is providing the public service, the material here makes clear that the private providers are incompetent at most things except making money.
Buildings are badly designed. Nice looking carpets on hospital floors make wheelchair-pushing harder, increasing back-strain among workers, non-washable paint is put on walls that need repeated cleaning. Taps with uncontrollable hot water discourage hygienically necessary hand-washing.
Under PFI, schools have contractual limits on the times they can use premises. In Falkirk this means students finding they can't use 'their' school-fields for Saturday morning hockey matches, having to travel to (non-PFI) Stirlingshire to play.
This is only a smattering of the assault on public services revealed by 7:84. Pregnant women need to fear hospital plans for the Highlands. As do people planning to pursue outdoor activities near Ben Nevis. But everyone should know about PFI. After all, it's our money going into these private piggies' banks.
Cast:Tom Freeman, Keith Macpherson, Laura Smales, Anita Vettesse
Director: Lorenzo Mele
Designer: Francis Gallop
Lighting: Dave Shea
Video editor: Diane Jardine
Transcriber: Peter Alexander
2004-09-25 12:59:54