Mark Ravenhill is one of the most challenging writers in British theatre today. His first full length play, 'Shopping and F**king', catapulted him into the public eye in 1996 and he continues to write provocative pieces.
This year he suggested to the Traverse he premiere 17 short plays - one to be performed every day of the Festival. A marathon feat, each new play is being read every morning at his ‘Ravenhill for Breakfast' event. The undertaking is all the more surprising as he had a ‘severe' epileptic fit in February of this year which resulted in him suffering from a complete bout of amnesia. He now is unable to recall anything that happened in the months of February and March this year. Not even the fact he agreed with the Traverse to do this!
Miraculously though his brain has not been affected and he has spent the last 3 months writing these 20 minute plays - the final 3 being written during the Festival.
The theme of ‘Ravenhill for Breakfast' is the War on Terror.
His writing is always explicit. Today's play - LOVE (but I won't do that) - deals with the issue of the guy (whom we learn is a soldier attached to the allies) bursting with sexual frustration. The woman, to whom his aggression is directed, studiously avoids engaging in any dialogue, until she is ultimately forced to do so.
The dialogue was riveting. What held the pace of the play was the frequent unexpected responses of the characters to one other. A great writer, Jennifer Black and Brian Ferguson did great justice to the piece.
Time: 9.30am, til 26 August (not 20)