PITY by Rory Mullarkey ; Directed by Sam Pritchard ; Set Design by Chloe Lamford ; Lighting Design by Anna Watson ; Royal Court Theatre ; Jerwood Theatre Downstairs ; London, UK ; 17 July 2018 ; Credit and Copyright: Helen Murray ;
Play Details
Context
Artistic Director
Vicky Featherstone
Dates Performed
Thursday 12th July 2018
Jerwood Theatre Downstairs
Play Details
Synopsis
A town square in England
Person, an unemployed everyman, finds his mundane morning in the town square upended by a series of increasingly absurd and catastrophic events. As bombs explode, warlords clash, and refugees seek shelter, Person forms an impromptu marriage with the Daughter of a recently deceased professor. Together, they navigate the escalating madness, clinging to each other and their humanity as the world crumbles around them.
Rory Mullarkey’s darkly comedic play is a frenetic, stylized exploration of societal collapse and human resilience. Through rapid-fire dialogue, surreal interludes, and a structure that veers between vignettes and epic sprawl, “Pity” satirizes everything from small-town life to global conflict. The play’s absurdist tone belies its poignant examination of connection in crisis, the malleability of identity, and the human capacity to find humor and hope in the face of unimaginable devastation.
Cast & Creative
Cast
Paul Bentall
Cast
Sandy Grierson
Cast
Helena Lymbery
Cast
Sophia Di Martino
Cast
Siobhán McSweeney
Cast
Francesca Mills
Cast
Abraham Popoola
Cast
Paul G Raymond
Cast
Dorian Simpson
Designer
Chloe Lamford
Costume
Annemarie Woods
Sound
Pete Malkin
Assistant Director
Sita Thomas
