Theatre review: Demand the Impossible

Sophie Buchaillard

Inspired by the experience of members of the Cardiff Anarchist Network between 1993-2007, Demand the Impossible is theatre company Common/Wealth’s hybrid show: part theatre performance, part punk-gig, and part-sensory experience.

It pulls you in, spectator turned participant, from concert to picket line to sit-ins, to the inner lives of activists who share their testimony of the impact police infiltration had on their lives: the blacklists, the abuse of powers, the resulting loss of trust and alienation.

Footage of protests and CCTV projected on ethereal nettings hanging from the ceiling surround you, whilst performers occupy the space, floating around like opposing magnets, their energy moving you, physically and
emotionally. They stand and speak, whilst you bear witness, your image now captured by a roaming camera, footage reproduced on every net, like an intangible threat, a commentary on the surveillance society in which we
live.

What does it mean, for you, for me, when protesting to demand better, to ask to be treated with decency, is treated as a crime? Who feels threatened by your voice? Your convictions? Your strength? At regular
intervals, the band provides a social commentary as counterpoint, almost like a Greek chorus.

Uncomfortably familiar 

Looking across the room, I notice a group of local teenagers, and wonder what they will make of the show. How many of them will recognise themselves in these experiences, inspired by conversations and interviews with activists across many campaigns, some of them present in the room?

For someone my generation, who took part in protests in the late 1980s/early 1990s the testimonials are uncomfortably familiar, yet the existence of this show demonstrates a need: our collective memory depressingly short, allowing history to repeat itself, complacency making room for new legislations that curb our right to protest.

And therein lies the brilliance of Demand the Impossible. Immersive political theatre here creates conditions which allow the spectator to connect with the different ways in which the protagonists were/are affected by the Surveillance State.

The set, with its flashing lights, loud music and smoky atmosphere, is designed to drown the senses and disorient, forcing you to engage on a visceral level as lives around you unravel. The proximity with the performers makes this all the more intimate, all the more moving.

Essential 

It is a profoundly affecting experience, whether you recognise yourself in some of those stories, or you are hearing about those injustices for the first time. Just as your mind pushes back and you tell yourself that the play exercised creative licence, footage of the Undercover Policing public enquiry flash around the room, the enormity of the accusations hard to stomach.

This is happening right now. The enquiry will resume on the 13th of this month.

What the Common/Wealth team achieves with Demand the Impossible is a fine example of theatre as peaceful protest, artistic expression challenging communities to come together, question, confront, hold to account and
educate. This show and its message feel more essential than ever.

Demand the Impossible shows at the Corn Exchange, Newport from 6-13 October 2025. Tickets are available here.

Sophie Buchaillard is the author of Painting over the cracks (Lucent Dreaming), Assimilation (Honno) and This Is Not Who We Are (Seren).