'I'm a bit of a transvestite," says Valentijn Dhaenens, the Flemish actor and theatre-maker whose latest work, Small War, plays at the Traverse Theatre throughout next month's Edinburgh Fringe.
He is explaining one of the reasons why his hi-tech, one-man show about the psychology and consequences of human conflict features him in the role of a female nurse from the First World War.
"It's not like I'm a sexual transvestite and I'm trying to seduce people," he adds. "Rather, it creates a strangeness. It's a bit Frankenstein, to see this man playing a female nurse. I felt that this could be a beautiful way of portraying a broken woman."
The woman is broken spiritually, Dhaenens explains, by her experience of conflict. The inspiration for the character came from the actor's research in the diaries of nurses who served during the Great War.
He was interested, in particular, in how quickly the nurses were transformed by the conflict. "A lot of the diaries I read were American. These nurses came over to Europe with a lot of optimism. They wanted to do good. However, within just a few weeks, they become totally cynical."
Dhaenens created Small War (which is a co-production between his Antwerp-based company SKaGeN, Richard Jordan Productions and Drum Theatre Plymouth) as a follow-up piece to his earlier solo work Big Mouth. That show, which is comprised entirely of famous speeches, most of them about war and conflict, played at Summerhall during the 2012 Fringe, and will be reprised for three performances at the Traverse next month.
With Small War, he wanted to focus on the victims of those speeches. The manner in which he does this is remarkable, from a technical point of view.
Although Dhaenens is playing the role of the nurse throughout, there are a series of other characters, all played by him and projected onto the stage in hologram. Indeed, such is the scale of the technological element, the piece won't fit in the Traverse's basement studio. Consequently, the artist will be playing 18 performances in the theatre's large main auditorium.
While ostensibly set during the First World War, Small War draws upon many other conflicts. A set of interviews with American soldiers who served in Vietnam made particularly sobering reading. "Most of them start to like to kill people. After killing someone for the first time, most of them look to have another kill."
If the Vietnam testimony points towards a bleak conclusion about human nature, the current conflict in Gaza and Israel is no less troubling to Dhaenens. He visited Israel and the Occupied Territories 14 years ago, during the second Intifada, and is appalled by the events of recent weeks. Despite his pacifism, the actor's experience in the Occupied Territories led him to understand why so many young Palestinians are willing to join resistance movements which Israel and the West describe as "terrorist".
"It's terrible how the Palestinians are living in the Occupied Territories. When I was there I talked to students at a university in Palestine. If I had to take sides, I probably would have went with Hamas at the time."
Small War is a monologue of Dhaenens's making, and can be adapted to address current events. It will be no surprise, therefore, if we find a female nurse from the First World War, played by a man, talking about the plight of the people of Gaza in 2014.
Small War plays at the Traverse Theatre, July 31 to August 24. Big Mouth plays the Traverse, August 19, 21 and 23. For more information, visit traverse.co.uk
FRINGE HIGHLIGHTS
Return To The Voice
St Giles' Cathedral
August 6-21
Playing at St Giles' Cathedral as part of the Summerhall programme, the extraordinary Polish theatre company Song Of The Goat draw upon their recent research in, and collaborations with, performers of ancient Scottish music and song.
Zelda - The Last Flapper
Hill Street Solo Theatre
July 31-August 24
"I don't want to live. I want to love first, and live incidentally." So said the American novelist Zelda Fitzgerald, the subject of William Luce's one-woman play, presented by Romanian company Play The Spotlight Theatre.
Race
Assembly George Square Studios
July 31-August 25
The Playhouse Company of South Africa delve into David Mamet's drama about a law firm's handling of an incendiary, racially sensitive rape case.
Huff
Traverse
August 1-24
Another chance to see Shona Reppe and Andy Manley's winner at this year's Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland. A highly imaginative, and highly amusing, piece of exploratory promenade theatre based upon the tale of The Three Little Pigs.
Slap Talk
Forest Fringe
August 11
Described as "a pre-fight press conference crossed with a 24-hour rolling news channel", Slap Talk, by Bristol-based performance duo Action Hero, offers six hours of live argument and abuse between two on-screen protagonists.
Mark Brown
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