Park Theatre and Stop The War Coalition present
MARK RYLANCE & FRIENDS
TO INTERPRET MYTHS OF WAR
In support of Stop The War Coalition
Featuring the work of Howard Zinn, Erich Maria Remarque and more
Sunday 18th June 2017 | Park Theatre
Mark Rylance, Kika Markham and other special friends are to present Myths of War: a series of dramatic readings that question why some wars have become sacrosanct in our collective consciousness. Asking if we can take a fresh view of history in order to end the wars of today, Mark Rylance brings to the London stage Howard Zinn’s seminal oration on the Three Holy Wars. Kika Markham reads from Erich Maria Remarque’s The Road Back. All proceeds from the readings will go to the Stop The War Coalition.
“Hope can only come if you have some historical perspective”
Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn was an American historian, playwright, and famed anti-war activist who wrote more than twenty books about the Civil Rights Movement, US labor history and the stupidity of war. Erich Maria Remarque was a German novelist and screen writer, famous amongst other things for the classic antiwar novel All Quiet on the Western Front about soldiers’ experiences of World War One.
Melli Marie, Creative Director of Park Theatre, said: “As a theatre, it is important for us to create the space for all conversations to take place, no matter how uncomfortable, controversial or unpopular. We believe that by bringing Howard’s work to light at Park Theatre we are giving our audience a chance to think about this global issue from a personal perspective.”
Lindsey German, Convenor of Stop the War, said: “Howard Zinn was a great writer and historian of the 20th century who spent his life opposing wars and the militarised societies that give rise to them. His body of work is a enduring reminder that it is ordinary people who suffer in wars. We face a choice between further wars, involving the use of ever more catastrophic weapons of mass destruction, which will cause untold misery to millions, or the creation of a society based on peace, justice and cooperation. The Stop the War Coalition is committed to campaigning to end these wars. We must do everything we can to end them.”
Mark Rylance has been an actor since 1976. He is best known for his artistic direction of Shakespeare’s Globe and for playing Rooster Byron in Jerusalem (Royal Court Theatre), Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall (BBC), the BFG in The BFG (Walt Disney Studios) and Colonel Abel in Bridge of Spies (20th Century Fox).