“Pippa Winslow plays the face of the system fantastically”
Christopher Green’s “Prurience” is a piece of immersive theatre that works on a multitude of levels. Firstly, the awkward, disorganised setting up of ‘the meeting’ and the initial opening words and exercises; we all know why we are there… we all know why we have come …
Next, not getting down to the specifics of pornography addiction serves to highlight some of the potentials problems with the self-help system, such as the impersonality and having a weak group leader (Christopher Green plays this character incredibly well) supported by a corporation whose vested interest is more in ensuring that the people who need help, continue needing help. This really emphasises the satirical nature of the piece and Amelia Atkins (Pippa Winslow) is fantastic at playing the face of the system in a mocking corporate video.
However, things start to get really interesting when the group starts to stray away from the “Prurience” method and begin to speak their mind. The really outstanding thing with this piece is the structure, and the piece being so immersive really lends itself to what Green is setting out to achieve.
Prurience will leave you guessing and thinking long after you’ve left the theatre, questioning what is real and what is fantasy, highlighting exactly how pornography can so easily blur these boundaries. Green also makes some beautiful points about conscious consumption, the abundance of pornography and the access and availability to it, particular at much younger ages. The points, however, feel slightly rushed within the piece overall, as the structure demands so much of your attention.
“Liam Mansfield is excellent as Scott the Scottish Terrier, the Sherlock Holmes of our story with a feisty attitude and a lot of tartan.”
Have you ever wondered what actually goes on in the mind of your canine friend? Does he interpret things the same way you do? Does she sense trouble a mile off? Do they know more than they are letting on?
Well fear not, as writer and director Stephanie Withers takes you on an intriguing journey of the notorious 2015 Crufts Dog Show poisoning, told from the perspective of our puppy pals.
‘Off the Middle’ is a theatre company dedicated to producing quality new-writing and creative storytelling. Liam Mansfield is excellent as Scott the Scottish Terrier, the Sherlock Holmes of our story with a feisty attitude and a lot of tartan.
Both Stephanie de Whalley and Paul Hilliar switch between radically different characters throughout the performance, from high maintenance Fluffy the Chihuahua to ex Andrex puppy star Lucy the Labrador.
Withers, herself a huge fan of dogs, plays on all the stereotypes in this work. Fluffy’s line ‘people just love a dog they can pop in their handbag’ not only makes the audience laugh but allows them to imagine the sort of person who would own a dog like Fluffy. Are dogs really similar to their owners? Delving into the competitive politics of dog shows, our characters portray just how cut-throat these events can be and how far participants are willing to go to win or defend their titles.
Highlights from the performance include the fantastic array of props (or should I say, many different sets of animal ears) the constant classic dog puns ‘barking mad’, ‘teach an old dog new tricks’ and one of my personal favourite scenes whereby our narrator, Scott the Scottish Terrier, is put on the spot to perfectly execute his dog show routine whilst preoccupied with questions about who poisoned Serena the Setter.
Can he remain a champion under all of this stress?
