Cloud Nine (Caryl Churchill)

This section explores the play Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill, focusing on: the structure, setting, staging, characters, themes and the historical and cultural context of the play. Cloud Nine is a groundbreaking play by Caryl Churchill that uses cross-gender casting, non-linear structure, and symbolic staging to explore themes of gender, sexuality, power, and colonialism. By contrasting the Victorian era with the 1970s, Churchill critiques the rigid roles imposed on individuals, highlighting the fluidity of identity and the struggles for personal liberation in the face of societal constraints. The play is a powerful commentary on how historical and social forces shape personal lives and how these forces can both liberate and oppress individuals.

Structure of the Play

Cloud Nine is a two-act play that employs a non-linear structure, with Act 1 set in Victorian-era British colonial Africa and Act 2 taking place in 1970s London. The play’s unconventional structure is key to its exploration of themes like gender identity, sexuality, and colonialism. The change in time and setting between the two acts reflects the cultural shift over more than a century, allowing Churchill to juxtapose different societal norms, values, and power dynamics.

• Act 1: Set in a British colonial outpost in Africa during the Victorian era, Act 1 reflects the rigid, repressive attitudes towards gender and sexuality in that period. The characters are often trapped in traditional roles of authority, class, and gender, and the language used often reflects a colonial mindset.
• Act 2: In contrast, Act 2 shifts to 1970s London, where characters are faced with the evolution of gender norms and sexual liberation. While the social context is more modern and progressive, the characters still wrestle with the legacies of the previous century’s societal constraints.

The time leap between Acts 1 and 2 enables Churchill to compare and contrast the progression of social attitudes and personal identity, demonstrating how societal shifts do not automatically result in individual liberation.

Setting and Staging

The staging of Cloud Nine is notable for its use of minimalist and symbolic design, which reflects the experimental nature of Churchill’s theatre and enhances the thematic focus on identity and power dynamics.

• Act 1: The setting is a Victorian colonial outpost in Africa, which is represented in a minimalist manner. The use of simple, symbolic props—such as furniture and a few props indicating a British colonial setting—suggests the rigid and oppressive nature of Victorian society. The focus in this act is on the psychological and social relationships between characters, not on the physical environment.
• Act 2: The setting shifts to a modern London townhouse, which, again, is sparsely furnished. In both acts, the set reflects the interior world of the characters more than any real sense of external environment. This also allows the actors to easily switch between characters and situations, reflecting the fluidity of identity and gender roles throughout the play.
• Costume and Character Transitions: The same actors play different roles between the two acts, often changing genders and ages. The cross-gender casting in Act 1 is highly significant as it critiques the restrictive roles imposed by society. For example, characters like Betty (a woman in Act 1) and Edward (a man in Act 2) are played by the same actors, which highlights the play’s focus on gender fluidity and the artificiality of gender roles.
• Physicality and Movement: Churchill’s use of physical theatre and stylised movements is important, especially in the use of mime and exaggerated gestures to represent both subjugation and freedom. The play often uses direct address to the audience, blurring the line between reality and performance, and emphasising the artifice of social roles.

Historical and Cultural Context

Cloud Nine was written in 1979, a time of significant social and political change. The 1970s saw movements for gender equality, the rise of feminism, and the gay liberation movement, alongside challenges to traditional family structures and the questioning of heteronormative values.

• Feminism and Gender Identity: The 1970s marked the second wave of feminism, which sought to address issues such as reproductive rights, sexual autonomy, and equal opportunities for women. Cloud Nine critiques the ways in which society restricts women’s lives through the rigid enforcement of gender roles. The play also addresses the fluidity of gender and sexuality, making it a radical exploration of gender identity for its time.
• Post-colonialism: Set in a colonial context, Act 1 reflects the prevailing attitudes of the Victorian era, which upheld imperialism and racial hierarchies. The characters’ behaviour reflects the repression and control inherent in the colonial mindset, and Churchill critiques the dynamics of power and exploitation. This is particularly evident in the character of Clive, who represents the British coloniser's attitude towards both gender and racial superiority.
• Sexual Liberation: The 1970s were a period of greater sexual freedom, especially in terms of LGBTQ+ rights and the breaking of taboos surrounding sex. The characters’ changing attitudes towards sex and sexuality in Act 2 reflect the more liberated social context of the time, yet the play still highlights the lingering constraints from earlier centuries.
• Theatre of the Absurd and Postmodernism: Caryl Churchill is influenced by theatre of the absurd, in her exploration of the limits of language and identity. The play also reflects postmodern concerns with the deconstruction of grand narratives—in this case, the narratives surrounding gender, family, and identity.

Characters

The play’s characters are complex and often fluid in terms of gender and identity, highlighting Churchill’s deconstruction of traditional roles.

• Clive: The colonial administrator in Act 1, Clive embodies the patriarchal, colonial mindset. He is a symbol of British imperialism, upholding rigid, oppressive gender roles. In Act 2, his character’s progression into the 1970s reveals the way colonial attitudes persist, though he is confronted by the more progressive values of the time.
• Betty: In Act 1, Betty is the wife of Clive, a character who is repressed and unquestioning of her role as a mother and wife. In Act 2, Betty is more liberated but still struggles with her own identity and relationships, particularly with her husband. Her journey in the play reflects the gradual shift in attitudes toward female autonomy and sexual liberation.
• Joshua: A black servant in Act 1, Joshua represents the colonial subject, subjugated and marginalized by the British colonisers. His relationship with Clive reflects the racial hierarchies that were central to British imperialism. In Act 2, Joshua’s character shifts to reflect the changes in racial attitudes in the post-colonial world, though the remnants of colonial oppression are still felt.
• Edward: In Act 1, Edward is a child who displays more feminine traits. In Act 2, Edward is an adult, played by the same actor but with a different gender expression, revealing the fluidity of gender and identity. Edward’s struggles in Act 2 demonstrate the conflicts between self-expression and societal expectation.
• Vicky: Vicky is Clive and Betty’s daughter, who represents a more liberated figure in Act 2. Her character undergoes a transformation from the innocence of childhood in Act 1 to the rebelliousness and complexity of adulthood, particularly with regard to her sexual identity.
• Martin: A character whose journey in Act 2 represents the shifting sexual politics of the 1970s. He experiences a changing relationship with both his wife and his own sense of identity, which reflects broader social transformations.

Themes

• Gender and Sexuality: One of the central themes of Cloud Nine is the fluidity of gender and sexuality. Churchill critiques the rigid roles imposed by society and explores how these roles restrict individual identity. The characters in the play challenge and subvert traditional gender norms, particularly through the gender-crossing casting, which highlights the performative nature of gender.
• Colonialism and Power: Act 1 critiques British colonialism and the power structures that perpetuate racial and gender inequalities. The characters’ relationships are defined by colonial dominance, and the play reflects on how imperial attitudes shape both personal and social dynamics.
• Liberation and Repression: The shift between the two acts reflects the ongoing tension between the desire for liberation (from social, sexual, and racial oppression) and the constraints that continue to shape individuals' lives. In Act 2, even though there is greater social freedom, characters still struggle with the remnants of past repression, showing that personal freedom is not easily achieved.
• Family and Relationships: The play examines the complexities of family dynamics and how these relationships are influenced by both historical and social contexts. The characters’ struggles with love, desire, and identity reflect the changing nature of family roles and personal relationships across time.
• Identity and Transformation: The play’s portrayal of characters who change roles and identities between Acts 1 and 2 reflects the theme of personal transformation. The shifting of gender and identity challenges the idea of a stable self, suggesting that identity is fluid, socially constructed, and subject to change.