The Foreclosure Follies

Performed by the Live Canon Ensemble, the Foreclosure Follies has toured to Montreal, Vancouver, New York, Oxford and London. The next performance will be in Athens, Greece. Tickets are free, but please reserve your ticket in advance here.

Ten years ago, the world experienced a seismic financial collapse. Parts of the globe continue to face financial crises. The Foreclosure Follies is a one-hour performance using theatre to explore issues underpinning global financial markets, for both the general public and the finance sector. Styled in part as a Greek chorus, it explores the big questions we face now – ‘to regulate, or not to regulate’…and many others. The vignettes include classical Greek texts in ancient Greek, from Aristotle to Solon, contemporary Greek poetry exploring the financial crises, skits and songs on ‘sub-prime love’, Brexit and climate-change financial risk. The result is a Brecht-style cabaret – both poignant and humorous – asking some uncomfortable questions about how we regulate the financial sector.

This project grew out of a knowledge exchange between Canadian law and economics professor Dr Janis Sarra, Dr Helen Eastman, Artistic Associate of the APGRD at Oxford University and Director of the Cambridge Greek Play 2010-2016, composer Alex Silverman and the Live Canon ensemble.  Judges, economists, scholars and actors use the arts to pose essential questions about financial markets in our society, encouraging audiences to engage with these issues. There is an optional post-performance discussion with creators and the cast.

Writer and Director: Helen Eastman

Composer and Musical Director: Alex Silverman

Creative Co-creator: Janis Sarra

Cast

Alex Bartram, Live Canon, London UK

The Honourable James Farley, Toronto, Canada

Roseanna Frascona, Live Canon, London UK

Simon Muller, Live Canon, London UK

Mairin O'Hagan, Live Canon, London UK

Dr. Janis Sarra, University of British Columbia, Vancouver Canada

Sophie Scott, Live Canon, London UK

Alex Silverman, Oxford UK

Professor Cheryl Wade, St. John’s University School of Law, New York, US