Pornography is set over seven days in 2005 which see the iconic city of London host the G8 Summit and the Live 8 concert against global poverty, win its bid for the Olympic Games, and confront the tragedy of the public transport bombings in which 52 people died. Eight characters, revealed to the audience in ones and twos, each struggle with secrets or desires which their society considers strictly taboo. One of the young men responsible for the bombings is depicted in the lead up to the act, beside other Londoners including an aging professor and a former student, a young mother, a teenage girl, two thirty-somethings, and an octogenerian. Myles’ actors who bring life to these roles are of a high calibre, with some particularly excellent performances book-ending the second half of the production.
Stephens’ text places ‘ordinary’ people beside one of the men who would soon be among the best known killers in British history, perhaps demonstrating that the contrast may not be quite as stark as we would like to think. At times Pornography tries a little too hard to be provocative and daring, but for the most part this is a well-acted, enjoyable and engaging production.
BY JOSH FERGEUS
