Uproar

In an ivory tower at an indeterminate place, men in a meeting room are engaged in intense consultation. They are the board members of this fictional location, where suddenly more and more female residents are reporting intimidation by their male fellow citizens. The dominant males try to deal with the crisis but fail to get the situation under control. On the contrary, their decrees and decisions soon expose the difficulties and double standards under which their subjects live. Meanwhile the air conditioning in the administrative department breaks down and tension rises there too. On the pretext of protecting their female subjects against abusive behaviour, the managers can think of nothing better than to isolate all women on a separate island.

‘Uproar’ is a play about an island full of women, and a room full of men. In his script, Freek Mariën addresses the focal point of our time; the abuse of power, bureaucracy and gender inequality come together in his dystopic and gripping story, which is based on real events. Between 1923 and 1961, ‘loose women’ were interned on the Danish island of Sprogø.

‘Uproar’ manages to capture the debate over feminism in lightning fast and quick-witted dialogues. It is an incisive story with contemporary relevance that feels both absurd and almost alienating at the same time. With a generous dash of humour and feminism, Freek Mariën has painted an impressive picture of contemporary society that makes us think.