The Extreme Right and the Limits of Liberal Tolerance in David Greig’s The Events and Chris Thorpe’s Confirmation

Authors

James Hudson

Abstract

This article reflects on David Greig’s The Events (2013) and Chris Thorpe’s Confirmation (2014) as plays that engage with and interrogate the ideology of the contemporary ethno-nationalist far-right. It analyses the way that both plays present characters with far-right extremist beliefs and argues that these portrayals constitute urgent and topical responses to new and emerging ideological trends in nascent twenty-first century fascist discourse. Further, this article examines the ways that both Grieg and Thorpe’s plays choose to position a left-liberal protagonist against an extremist racist antagonist and situate each on a journey where their capacity to both understand and tolerate the other is tested beyond its limits. The article argues that in doing this both plays not only perform an interrogation into the most salient aspects of contemporary far-right thought, but comprise equally frank assessments into the limitations of the liberal mindset in its encounters with fascism.

Recommended Citation

Hudson, James (2017) "The Extreme Right and the Limits of Liberal Tolerance in David Greig’s The Events and Chris Thorpe’s Confirmation," Comparative Drama: Vol. 51: Iss. 3, Article 3.
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/compdr/vol51/iss3/3