As they document her suffering through photography, they justify their actions as an artistic exploration of pain and reality. However, underlying their behavior is deep-seated resentment, envy, and a sense of betrayal over her success. The play is structured as a fragmented, poetic monologue delivered by the collective voice of the group, creating an intense and unsettling atmosphere.

Ultimately, Pool (No Water) is a critique of the art world’s exploitation of suffering, the fragility of friendship, and the human tendency toward cruelty when faced with jealousy and failure.

The central figures in the story include:

1. The Successful Artist – A former member of the group who has achieved fame and wealth, inviting the others to her luxurious home before suffering a tragic accident.

2. The Group (Ensemble Voice) – The remaining artists who serve as the play's narrators. They express their jealousy, resentment, and complex emotions regarding their injured friend.

Because the play is designed to be performed by an ensemble, the characters remain fluid, with the text allowing for various interpretations in staging and performance.

The play does not follow a traditional narrative but instead provides snapshots of various individuals, including a schoolboy obsessed with his teacher, an estranged brother and sister engaging in an unsettling reunion, a disillusioned office worker, and, chillingly, one of the bombers himself. These characters’ lives reflect themes of isolation, disconnection, and underlying tensions within modern Britain.

By juxtaposing the mundane aspects of daily life with the looming terror attack, Pornography forces the audience to confront uncomfortable truths about societal alienation, violence, and the fragility of normality. The play is raw, poetic, and unsettling, offering a deeply human perspective on a national tragedy.

1. The Sibling Pair – A brother and sister who reunite after time apart. Their relationship becomes unsettling as they engage in an incestuous act, reflecting themes of isolation, emotional detachment, and moral decay.

2. The Schoolboy – A teenage boy who admires his teacher and navigates the complexities of adolescence. His monologue explores themes of obsession, loneliness, and coming of age in an uncertain world.

3. The Office Worker – A disillusioned professional who expresses deep frustration with modern life. His monologue reveals his dissatisfaction with societal expectations and personal failures.

4. The Middle-Class Woman – A woman who struggles with feelings of alienation and the disconnect between her life and the world around her, highlighting the everyday mundanity in contrast with the looming tragedy.

5. The Bomber – One of the four terrorists responsible for the 7/7 attacks. His monologue provides an unsettling insight into radicalization and extremism, forcing the audience to confront the complexity of his motivations.

Each character exists in their own isolated world, reflecting themes of alienation, societal breakdown, and the fragility of normal life leading up to a national tragedy.

Throughout the play, Anne is portrayed in conflicting ways: as a terrorist, a porn star, a political refugee, an artist, a suicidal woman, a car (yes, literally), and more. These shifting perspectives challenge notions of truth, identity, and narrative reliability. The play lacks a conventional plot or protagonist and instead explores media influence, consumerism, gender, and political violence through disjointed dialogue, advertisements, news reports, and interrogations.

Crimp’s work is highly experimental, offering directors and performers significant flexibility in staging. Its fragmented, abstract style forces audiences to question how identities are shaped by language, media, and societal perceptions.

The only recurring "character" is Anne (or variations like Annie, Anya, Anny), but she never appears on stage. Instead, she is constructed through the voices of others, who define and redefine her identity in contradictory ways.

Since the play does not specify named roles, directors and performers have the freedom to allocate lines and create distinct personas for different sections, making each production unique.

Act 1

Set in Victorian-era colonial Africa, this act mirrors British imperialist values and rigid gender roles. The characters include Clive (a colonial administrator), his wife Betty (played by a man to highlight gender expectations), their children, and various servants and associates. The act exposes the hypocrisies of colonial rule and traditional family structures, depicting suppressed desires, racism, and patriarchal dominance.

Act 2

Set in 1979 London, 100 years have supposedly passed, but the characters have only aged 25 years. The shift reflects changing social attitudes towards feminism, LGBTQ+ identities, and personal liberation. Gender roles and sexual norms are further deconstructed as characters explore their identities more freely. The play ends without clear resolution, emphasizing the ongoing struggle for self-definition and equality.

Key Themes:

• The oppression of women and LGBTQ+ individuals.

• The legacy of colonialism and power structures.

• The fluidity of gender and sexuality.

• The tension between societal expectations and personal desires.

Cloud 9 is known for its innovative theatrical techniques, including cross-gender and cross-racial casting, making it a groundbreaking work in feminist and queer theatre.

4o

Caryl Churchill’s Cloud 9 features a unique structure where actors often play multiple roles, including cross-gender and cross-racial casting.

Act 1 (Set in Victorian-era Colonial Africa)

1. Clive – A British colonial administrator, upholding strict Victorian values.

2. Betty – Clive’s wife, played by a man to emphasize gender expectations.

3. Joshua – A Black servant, played by a white actor, reflecting colonial power dynamics.

4. Edward – Clive and Betty’s young son, played by a woman to highlight gender roles.

5. Victoria – Clive and Betty’s baby daughter, represented as a dummy/doll.

6. Maud – Betty’s mother, a conservative woman reinforcing traditional values.

7. Ellen – Edward’s governess, secretly in love with Betty.

8. Harry Bagley – A British explorer with hidden sexual desires, engaging in secret affairs.

9. Mrs. Saunders – A widowed, independent woman resisting colonial and gender norms.

Act 2 (Set in 1979 London, 100 years later but characters age only 25 years)

1. Betty – Now played by a woman, exploring independence and self-discovery.

2. Edward – Now played by a man, openly exploring his sexuality.

3. Victoria – Now played by a woman, struggling with marriage and feminist ideals.

4. Martin – Victoria’s husband, insecure and trying to embrace feminist values.

5. Lin – A lesbian single mother and Victoria’s love interest.

6. Cathy – Lin’s young daughter, played by a man to question gender roles.

7. Gerry – Edward’s lover, navigating gay relationships and personal freedom.

The casting choices and character doubling serve as a critique of rigid social norms and highlight the evolution of gender and sexuality over time.

26th- Research and Plan Podcast

28th- Run, record and rehearse podcast

5th- Record Podcast

Remember- this is still an assessment

Group size 1-4

Topic- identify a current global problem, set out what needs to change and tell us how they would change it.

Length- 5-20 Minutes

Research- You will need to research the topic so the information is accurate

Script- You may chose the script format, completed scripted, prompt, interview, Q&A, Roundtable

Improvisation- Completely improvising will not work, you will talk over each other and it will become a mess

Timing- someone should keep and eye on the time. spilt sections up into different timings. Remember its voice recorded not videoed

Lack of funding in collegs- Matt (5 Minutes)

Lack of government, universities and colleges funding because it isn't a primary subject as it goes elsewhere. Privileged people with wealthy parents are more likely to get more money. The government splits the funding between schools and colleges, principle budgets the money between the departments and isn't fair to us. Public grants. Fund raising events, selling tickets for a percentage of money. Student fees.

Sponsorship and self-funding- Billy (5 Minutes)

Most theatre company's struggle to get funding from the government unless it is an established theatre company already however how can a theatre company become established unless they have help from the government.

Cost to make a performance- Jack (5 Minutes)

The price of staging, Props, costumes and venue hire.

Queer-baiting in Theatre & Film: Genuine Representation or Just Selling Rainbows?”

• Examples of famous queerbaiting in musicals and movies.

• Is there a difference between queer-coded characters and outright queer-baiting?

• How does queerbaiting affect LGBTQ+ audiences and aspiring queer performers?

- Are LGBTQ+ performers and creatives celebrated only when they fit a certain mold (e.g., cis, white, conventionally attractive)?

- Are older industry professionals contributing to a culture of homophobia/transphobia, or is it coming from multiple generations?

- The community use of fetishisation of queer couples/story’s. Cancelling queer shows/story’s (specifically sapphic/wlw) whilst mlm story’s are more mainstream.

Monday 14th

Tuesday 15th

Wednesday 16th

Wednesday 23rd

Rehearsal 10-4