Shopping and F***ing

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But this new title, Shopping and Carnal Intercourse , doesn’t quite do it, either. I prefer what The Times calls “the gerund that completes the title.” Suggestive word, gerund . No one knows what it means, but it sounds dirty. Shopping and Gerund . There you are! It works! As does, gerunding . It tells the story of Gary (Antony Ryding), a 14 year-old rent boy who ran away from home after being repeatedly raped by his step father. However it seems this experience with his step father has effected him so bad that he finds he needs hard sex and to be dominated to get pleasure. He befriends a punter called Mark ( James Kennedy). The acting was adequate but at times looked a little amateurish. I particularly liked the character Lulu ( Kate Ashfield), she is the flatmate of Robbie and the character Brian ( Robin Soans), a weird drug pusher. Are all Ravenhill's plays like that? I'm still processing how I feel about it. Great concept, shabby execution. I actually appreciate how the play plays on the whole consumerist society, and how relationships are manoeuvred in a neoliberalist culture/society. It's smart enough but not mind-blowing. Surely, it can be done better. It reminds me of Tracey Emin's 'My Bed' (1998). It's a brilliant concept, but not much effort innit? And personally I'm just someone who appreciates effort is all. Yes. Yes. I’m teaching. You’re learning. Money is civilization. And civilization is … say it . Don’t get frightened now. And civilization is …”

MSC: I think the play will still be seen as quite abrasive. I’ve seen a number of things recently which are soft as butter and without any political relevance but have been hailed critically. We’re approaching a cycle of self-centred plays and I think this was a corrective then and is now to that.

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May 2013 – The Victoria, Swindon. Directed by Peter Hynds and Sarah Lewis. Produced by TS Theatre Productions. This production starred Ella Thomas as Lulu, David Paris Malham as Robbie, Pete Hynds as Mark, David John Phillips as Gary and Howard Trigg as Brian.

The humour which is scattered throughout the play including a delicious story about Diana and Fergie when they went on their alleged infamous nightclub visit dressed as the police.If you know nothing of this type of life see it for a rollercoaster experience. Playwright Mark Ravenhill was educated at Bristol University where he studied English and Drama, and worked for the Soho Poly in London.

On the other hand, The New York Times favors the ‘it doesn’t exist’ formula. It has prudishly renamed the play Shopping and …. Everyone does it, no one will name it! The Times doesn’t even give it an asterisk or two. Three little dots must suffice. “How was it for you, my darling?”“That was the greatest three little dots I ever had in my life!” Postavy majú veľkú sexuálnu slobodu, filozofia ich života sa krúti okolo sexu, lásky, drog, okolo slobody a peňazí, sú poznačené kapitalizmom a chcú stále viac a viac. I was reminded of something someone once said to me: capitalism needs shame in the same way that politics needs fear. It made me think about the primal, human need to be part of the tribe. Shame is the fear that you’re not worthy of love and connection. Capitalism is preying on that idea – buy this and you’ll feel good, wear this and you’ll feel good. It fuels that sense of shame that we’re not already enough. It’s so dangerous on a worldwide level. S odstupom času som ju však nevedela dostať z hlavy a vtedy mi došlo, že som asi zošalela, lebo v živote potrebujem viac jeho tvorby.