'Tis Pity She's a Whore

I went to see Cheek by Jowl's sensational production of 'Tis Pity She's a Whore at the Bristol Old Vic on Monday. Declan Donellan re-imagines John Ford's Jacobean tragedy for the 21st Century and the macabre and incestuous behaviour of the protagonists Annabella and Giovanni fits uncomfortably well with the hedonistic, decadent contemporary society that he conjures for us.

Nick Ormerod's set is a feverish red and the play opens feverishly with a song and dance number. Music and movement inform the action throughout. The drama is visceral, to the extent that the heroine's heart is brought on by her bloodied brother after he has cut it from her chest. It was inventive, funny and horrifying by turn.

One of the things I liked most about it was the tension between the modern setting and the Jacobean text, a provocative clash that raises questions about human nature and what we have learned or not during the centuries since it was written. I think there's a creative writing lesson here too. You can add different dimensions to your work by exploring areas of tension within it: Donellan counterpointed language and setting, but you can do the same thing with aspiration and actual achievement, appearance and reality, thought and deed. There are any number of opposing forces or ideas that you can bring together and if you're very, very skilful, you'll achieve the same combustible excitement that we witnessed at the theatre  earlier this week.