one4review | On 15, Aug 2016

This hard hitting piece of drama written by Lynda Radley has been brought to Edinburgh by the students of Pepperdine University. It is based on actual reported incidences of rape at university campuses in the US. The drama centres on a female student who is persuaded by a friend to report a fellow student of rape. Initially reluctant, but with a growing indignation she reports him first to the police and then the university. Unfortunately for her the student is a football star who finds protection from friends and the authorities.
The ensemble cast shift roles between friend and foe of the victim. The use of sound builds a sense of panic around the victim as overlapping conversations illustrate the damaging gossip and innuendo. The absence of the accused on stage also adds poignancy to sense of the victimisation of the victim.
This is a gripping drama. Sitting in the front row I felt that the performance was a bit ‘shouty’ at times but the play is a shocking indication that we seem to have made little progress in sexual politics and the question of consent. Indeed, the growth of social media has made the situation far worse. The play was written in consultation with Rape Crisis charities which the cast were keen to promote at the end of the drama. A worthwhile drama which deserves to be widely seen.
****
Reviewed by Rona
C Venue 3.45pm until 16th August 2016