Red Stitch Theatre’s final play for 2013 is UK writer Lucy Kirkwood’s insightful comedy NSFW (Not Safe for Work), a deftly satirical exposé on the newsstand glossies of today, their attitudes to sexuality and the people that live and die by their rules.
When Aiden, editor of ‘Doghouse’ men’s magazine, charges his team of journos to find an amateur page three girl from their burgeoning readership, he gets results. But he can’t foresee the trouble it will bring as the magazine proudly unveils the winner.
In the aftermath, writer and prime casualty of the debacle, Sam, leaves ‘Doghouse’ to seek a lifeline at another publication, a stylish women’s magazine called ‘Electra’.
Thinking it could not be anywhere near as bad as his last job, he goes in with high hopes, but is proved wrong when an editorial direction from above cruelly forces him to compromise his morals to keep his new job.
A product of writer Lucy Kirkwood’s actual on-the-ground research into the world of sensationalist media and sexuality, NSFW takes a discerning and humourous look at our voyeuristic culture, the media that propels it and the corrupt values that lie within it all.
Lucy Kirkwood’s notable writing credits include Chimerica, which opened in May this year at London’s Almeida Theatre and was transferred to the West End after three months. She also writes for popular television series Skins. NSFW had its world premiere in London at the Royal Court Theatre in 2012.
Tanya Dickson (MTC, MKA Theatre) directs this candid, funny and unsettling play for her Red Stitch directorial debut with a cast that includes ensemble members Mark Casamento, Olga Makeeva, Ben Prendergast, Matt Whitty, and guest actors Kasia Kaczmarek and James Wardlaw.
NSFW
Red Stitch Theatre, Rear 2 Chapel St, St. Kilda East
Season: 20 November – 21 December 2013
Bookings: (03) 9533 8083 or online at: www.redstitch.net
For more information, visit: www.redstitch.net for details.
Image: Kasia Kaczmarek, Ben Prendergast, Matt Whitty, Olga Makeeva, and Mark Casamento