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A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE
Full-Length Play, Drama / 1w, 4m
Mark Ravenhill
An iconic debut play from the 1990s that uses dark humour and brutal realism to unpack consumerism, morality and the commodification of human relationships.
Image: 2016 Lyric Hammersmith Theatre Production (Tristram Kenton)
The ground-breaking debut from one of the most important playwrights of the last decade that uses dark humor and brutal realism to unpack consumerism, morality and the commodification of human relationships.
London, 1990s. Mark has just returned from rehab, aiming to leave behind his drug addiction and the chaotic lifestyle that accompanied it. Over the course of the play, Mark attempts to regain control over his life but finds himself drawn back into a web of consumerism, sex and drugs. Alongside his partners, Robbie and Lulu, Mark’s journey reveals a bleak and satirical view of a generation lost to the superficialities of modern life.
The play starkly portrays the intertwining of commerce and personal relationships, presenting a world where shopping is sexy, and fucking is transactional. Shopping and Fucking is a seminal work of the 1990s in-yer-face theatre movement, known for its raw and provocative content. Ravenhill’s characters navigate a landscape of exploitation and desperation, including the chilling figure of Brian, who represents the darker side of consumer culture, and Gary, a vulnerable young man caught in the cycle of abuse and commodification.
Shopping and Fucking delves into themes of consumerism, moral decay and the commodification of human relationships. Ravenhill’s use of dark humour and brutal realism forces the audience to confront uncomfortable truths about the society we live in. The play’s episodic structure and vivid, often shocking scenes create an intense and immersive experience.
Shopping and F***ing was first performed in London at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs on 26 September 1996, under the direction of Max Stafford-Clark.
LULUROBBIEMARKGARYBRIAN
Note from the author, Mark Ravenhill: I’m happy for any of the parts to be played by whoever, whatever gender. The gendered casting is only a suggestion and the parts are open to anyone wherever they are on the gender spectrum.
Note from the author, Mark Ravenhill:I’m happy for any of the parts to be played by whoever, whatever gender. The gendered casting is only a suggestion and the parts are open to anyone wherever they are on the gender spectrum.
London. 1990s.
“Plunges you into the world of disposability, disconnection and dysfunction, where relationships to be trusted have to be reduced to transactions... strong stuff.” – Paul Taylor, The Independent
“A darkly humorous play for today’s twenty-somethings... A real coup de theatre.” – Nicholas de Jongh, Evening Standard
“Ravenhill writes well, sometimes eloquently, even bordering on the poetic.” – CurtainUp
“Ravenhill has a sharp eye for the blackly comic bizarreries of this tragic, emotionally shrink-wrapped world.” – The Independent
“Ravenhill has more to say, and says it more refreshingly and wittily, than any other playwright of his generation.” – Time Out
“Ravenhill’s shocking drama presents the most graphic and disturbing gay sex scenes ever seen onstage.” – New York Magazine
ON BREAKING CHARACTER
The Receipt on Our Commercialized Life: SHOPPING AND F***ING by Gianfranco Lentini 17 May 2016
Shopping – Trailer, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
Shopping and F**king – Audience Reaction, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
by Mark Ravenhill
by Sarah Kane
Sarah Kane
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Mark Ravenhill, Matthew Scott
Jeremy O. Harris