Lubna Kerr’s Chatterbox is the third play in her series detailing her experiences in Glasgow, as an immigrant from Pakistan, who came to the UK in the 1970s.
This time, we go all the way back to Lubna’s early years in the city, as she is bullied at school, not only by the other pupils, but also by her teachers.
Dismissed as ‘stupid’ because she is still trying to learn English, Lubna retreats into herself, even developing a stutter in response to the taunts and cruelty inflicted upon her.
This could all be a tale of misery, but Lubna is surprisingly sanguine about the experience – although she admits that she is speaking now with the benefit of an immense amount of hindsight.
We continue through her years of education, where her abilities and intellect are all too often dismissed, belittled, ridiculed, or regarded as so unlikely that she is accused of cheating.
It’s a sobering indictment of the country we were in the past, and, with racial tensions, whipped up by the far right, currently resulting in riots in English towns, of the country we often still are.
For every person who is utterly horrible to the younger Lubna, we are shown an equal number who are kind, who treat her with respect, and who are keen to know more about her Pakistani culture.
Lubna once again embodies all of the characters herself, and the nosey neighbour in particular – who we have met in previous shows, Tickbox and Tickbox 2 – is beautifully observed.
Stuffed full with fascinating details about the Pakistani-Scottish experience, Kerr excels at telling her story and making us feel truly a part of her world.
Kerr continues to develop as a performer, and the piece is very funny, as well as extremely heartfelt. Kerr tells us a lot about her education, showing that her initial teacher’s dismissal of her was not only cruel, but mistaken.
Kerr gently makes the point that we are all just human beings, just trying to muddle our way through life. Life can take us to many unexpected places, and also can set us many challenges.
Lubna has worked hard to overcome all the obstacles placed in her way – not only as an immigrant but also as a woman. Lubna’s delivery of her own material reveals how closely she values her lived experience, and how vital she considers it that these stories are known to a wider audience.
It is distinctly a theme of this year’s Fringe that a lot of productions are asking questions about whose stories are told, who gets to tell them, and how those stories are told.
Kerr relates her own story with wit and warmth, and the message, that racism and microaggressions need to be challenged, stays with you long after the performance is over.
Chatterbox continues at The Pleasance Courtyard – The Green (Venue 33), at 16:55 (4:55 pm) until August 25th (not 13th, or 20th)
Featured Image Credit: Colin Hattersley
