There is nothing like a bit of media driven controversy around a theatre production is there? And somehow, young Sydney-based theatre director Shannon Murphy seems to know how to pick them.
Yesterday, the Daily Telegraph published a pretty irresponsible and simplified article about a play that premiered at the Old Fitzroy theatre last night.
"THE murderers of British toddler Jamie Bulger are being given a sympathetic treatment in a controversial new comic play opening in Sydney tonight," it started.
"The play The Age of Consent presents a series of monologues by a character named Timmy, who is based on the two Jamie Bulger killers Robert Thompson and Jon Venables," it went on.
Ninemsn picked up on the story and paraphrased it a bit in an article entitled, "Bulger killers get sympathetic treatment".
(It's almost like something out of Media Watch.)
The article then goes on to say, "the boys who murdered a British toddler will be portrayed as victims in a theatre comedy that opens in Sydney tonight."
Aside from all the Hettyesque wowser reactions on the Daily Telegraph website which included statements like;
you have got to be sh%$$ing me, what is this world coming to when we start to 'pity' child killers! Posted by: Diana of penrith
Ok this is just a sick joke how distasteful to say the least.
Posted by: what the of brisvegas
Maybe she wouldn't be so sympathetic if it were her child that was beaten to death.Let's hope for her children's sake she never has to find out.Bring back hanging's I say.String them both up!
Posted by: mumof2 of sydney
This play should be banned. Oh but its 'art'! In a world where crimes against children are increasing at a frightening rate, I find it sickening beyond words that this black 'comedy' has been allowed.
Posted by: Rose
I think Shannon Murphy and Peter Morris are the victims here. Victims of their own stupidity and overblown egos.
Posted by: GJ of Glenfield
I am absolutely outraged! These killers be child or not don¿t deserve any recognition whatsoever. To create a black comedy play based on such a crime is morally wrong and plain insensitive.
Posted by: Esther Barndon of Perth
And in exactly in the same way as the Henson affair, ALL of these people made these comments without having either seen nor having read the play. What a pack of gullible fools.
Of course, it does nothing like what is alleged but frankly, the hyped up and misinformed article from the Telegraph and Ninemsn has now meant that the Old Fitzroy was inundated with hits to their website, emails and a sudden surge in bookings.
You couldn't have organised a better publicity stunt - especially for a play that is over seven years old and has already been performed in Australia.
And I saw it last night and my review is to come. But I can say it is an intriguing and excellently executed piece of theatre with absolutely brilliant performances from two actors I have never seen before. I highly recommend it, especially if you're a raving right wing lunatic.
3 comments:
Very interesting. It must be the season.
I watched a trailer for a movie called "Boy A" a couple of nights ago. It would appear that this film, too, is "loosely based" (gotta love that all-weather disclaimer) on one of the Bulger-killing boys. It looks as though it is going to be harrowing, but at the same time, can't these Tele-reading cultural commentators see that it is for precisely their morbid curiosity that these stories get the run they do?
What is bizarre about these commentators (I caught up with the Bolt end) is they start foaming at the mouth about protecting children, blithely forgetting that the killers were children too. Their childhoods are summarily dismissed.
I don't know what the play is like, but Gita Sereny's book on Mary Bell, who also killed as a child, is a fascinating and careful exploration of the moral dilemmas in that situation. She comes down hard on the side of saying that all children are the responsibility of adults, and that if children do kill, there is something very seriously awry in their lives. (Mary Bell was, for example, a victim of serious abuse). And she particularly criticises the media demonisation of the children who killed James Bulger, as a classic case of evading the difficult responsibility of facing up to why it happened. But that's a bit complex for those nutters to negotiate.
nice one Nick, a pretty accurate summing up! i wish i could take some credit for the 'stunt' but it kinda did itself....isn't that ole' media machine interesting, and, (don't want to spoil the play) - weren't there some pertinent bits in the script re. media coverage?! holding up a mirror indeed...
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