The Venice Biennale is always associated with big exhibitions. But there is also a strong programme of dance, currently run by Wayne McGregor, and of theatre, now in its 52nd edition. In the case of theatre, 15 shows are packed into two hectic weeks in June with all the events taking place in the Arsenale: the vast naval shipyards that in the 17th century turned out 100 ships in 60 days and that still retain an aura of industrial power.
Britain has its place in this year’s theatre programme with Tim Crouch performing Truth’s a Dog Must To Kennel and with Gob Squad, co-founded in 1994 by Nottingham and Berlin students. The UK’s current anti-immigrant policy also was a key factor in one of the two productions I caught: a mesmerising piece called Blind Runner written and directed by the Iranian Amir Reza Koohestani who is currently based in Germany. His production has toured all over Europe but it is a sign of our woeful cultural isolation that there seems little chance of its getting to Britain.
