Inspiration Strikes!
Hi there, it’s Livia! I’ve read some really cool plays recently and can’t wait to tell you about them!
The most recent play I read was Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman. It’s a really dark, creepy and weird play, which follows the story of a writer, named Katurian, who has been arrested because a number of child murders in his town mirror the gruesome deaths in some of his short stories. I really enjoyed reading this play – partly because it is something that consistently keeps you on your toes. One example of this is the good cop/ bad cop dynamic which the play sets up and then completely subverts in later acts. It really feels like Martin McDonagh is playing games with the audience, because almost nothing is as it seems. The play also explores some interesting themes, like the responsibility of writers, and nature of human suffering, leaving you with lots of questions to think about. Is it better to die young or live a life of suffering? Is suffering necessary to create art? Are writers responsible for other people’s responses to their work? Lots to think about…
That being said, I didn’t like everything in the play. Katurian’s brother, Michal, is consistently referred to using ableist slurs. In 2003, when the play was written, the harm of these words was not recognised as it is now, and using them was much more normalised, but reading it still left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. The text’s treatment of this character also bothered me – the suggestion that because he was intellectually disabled he was more likely to commit acts of violence didn’t sit right with me. I’m certainly not an expert in these issues and recognise that this is a nuanced conversation, but I think the play has the potential to increase the stigma faced by people with these difficulties in the real world.
The Pillowman (David Tennant and Adam Godley)
Despite this, I did really enjoy reading the play, and it’s something I could probably talk about forever. The play is structured so that Katurian’s story of being interrogated by the police is broken up by re-enactments of his short stories on stage. I think it’s something that would be really cool to see live, and it was used really well to further the dark, intense atmosphere. This is something I would love to explore in my work, and I’m looking forward to playing around with the overall structure of the play, when I am writing a longer piece of my own.
This month, I also read The Fastest Clock in the Universe by Philip Ridley. This is a play with some similarities to The Pillowman but has more focus on the ‘comedy’ side of the dark/ satirical comedy genre. It’s known as one of Ridley unofficial ‘East End Gothic’ trilogy, which I think it a fitting title. I really enjoyed the creepy gothic atmosphere, black comedy, and gritty London setting. I also think it’s great to read as an aspiring playwright because it’s a lesson in how to artfully deliver escalating tension as the stakes get higher and higher throughout the second act, as the play hurtles towards its climactic conclusion. Reading this play actually inspired me to perhaps take a step away from the contemporary, naturalistic stuff I imagined I would be writing when I started the programme. Fastest Clock has a playfulness, and just essential weirdness to it, which makes it really fun and fascinating to read. The characters are all twisted, shallow stereotypes, but they’re written in a really witty, smart ways, which makes them essentially fun to watch. It’s not a realistic or naturalistic portrayal, and is inspiring for me, to take more risks and try things I might have been nervous to.
The Fastest Clock in the Universe (Dylan Llewellyn, Nancy Sullivan and Joshua Blake)
Before reading these plays, I found myself in a bit of a creative slump. The Pillowman and Fastest Clock were actually really inspiring to me, and have given me some more momentum to continue writing. I feel like I’ve opened a door to take more risks and be more explorative in my work. I can’t wait to see what comes next!
Livia Nicholson
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