‘Porn play’ – Headlong dive into sensitive areas…

Female addiction to pornography is rarely discussed, and when coupled with a craving to see accompanying extreme violence against women…

By Suman Bhuchar

THIS is the Royal Court Theatre’s new play that discusses addiction to violent porn.

It was sold out even before it opened on November 6 and now runs until Saturday (December 13).
 
Ambika Mod puts in a brave performance, as academic Ani Sandhu who is secretly addicted to violent porngraphy.


‘Porn Play’ is certified for a 18+ audience and there are many dos and don’ts – audiences need to cover their shoes in the space and no drinks are allowed in apart from water – as the entire theatre upstairs is a set designed by Yimei Zhao. It takes up all the four sides of the rectangular space and everything is covered in a shag pile beige carpet padding, including the audience seating area. 

There is an oval shaped pit in the middle which looks like a vulva. All other sets and props are concealed and get pulled out of spaces as required.

Ani has just won an award for her interpretation of the character, Eve in John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ and the play has a lot of allusions to those ideas of an apple, temptation and being expelled from Paradise.
 
In a prologue, a woman gazes into the mirror – she’s Eve (played by Lizzie Connolly).

Then Ani is with her boyfriend Liam (Will Close) and he is giving her an apple pie to eat which has an apple on the top.

While she eats, they chat as he’s worried about her inability to enjoy sex when he pleasures her – it’s causing some friction in their relationship.

She compares it to drinking four glasses of wine and he accepts her explanation.

They discuss the differences between male and female response to pornography and the issues around responsibility for seeing women being abused.

Eventually they break up and she goes home to her father played by Asif Khan.

He clearly knows about her addiction – she is watching porn at night and masturbating – her father comes in and in a very ordinary manner picks up a box and glances at it. Is she concealing sex toys?

Writer Sophia Chetin-Leuner is exploring female addiction to violent porn, specifically, as generally research has tended to concentrate on male addiction to porn, so in a way this play is provocative and touches on a new area.

Directed by Josie Rourke, the whole play goes through the gamut of an addict’s response to addiction and it’s like a whirlwind of movement.

Mod is brilliant at showing the audience all her feelings as her life keeps on spiralling from one encounter with porn to the next.

Ani goes to her friend, Jasmine’s house, they sleep top to toe – discuss what sex means to them and then when her friend falls asleep she begins to masturbate – her friend wakes up, is disgusted and leaves the bed.

Ani goes to the doctor because she has been pleasuring herself so much and this is her surreal moment.

She attends a Porn Anonymous meeting where she speaks to a man in rehab and that conversation is very male orientated and indicative of his entitlement, where he basically sees her as an object for the addiction he is trying to control.

What we don’t learn and have to assume is that, porn is something she was always into – or is it because she’s grieving for the death of her mother?
 
There is a disturbing scene when she wants to experience the violence.

The final scene between the father and daughter – each trying to reach out to each other is very moving.

Although ‘Porn Play’ is Ambika Mod’s show, you have to applaud the other performers who play several parts.

Lizzie Connolly’s characters include Eve, Jasmine, and the student, while Will Close plays her boyfriend, the addicted guy and student – are all simply amazing.
 
This is a visceral and disturbing play with fine performances throughout 

ACV rating: ***** (five out of five)

Listing

Porn Play by Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London SW1W 8AS
https://royalcourttheatre.com/events/porn-play/