Prurience questions our understanding of the effects of porn to ask whether we’re in the grip of a real addiction or a moral panic?
Best known for his experiential performances, including Office Party, VIP, The Dresser and The Frozen Scream, as well as creating the legendary Tina C and Ida Barr, Christopher Green is first and foremost an entertainer. Expect witty observations, surprises and more than a few laughs.
Here comes the science bit: Prurience has been created with support from The Wellcome Trust – that’s right, Chris has interviewed neuroscientists, sociologists, addiction experts and therapists. It’s about more than the contents of his hard drive.
Christopher Green answers some FAQs:
Is this a serious piece of theatre?
Yes, and it’s got really good jokes.
I don’t like porn – should I come?
Yes.
I love porn – should I come?
Yes.
I have no opinion on porn – should I come?
Yes. This show is ostensibly about pornography addiction but in reality is as much about social media, capitalism, and over consumption of everything and ultimately the hope that we can all find a way to take control.
Will I have to say anything out loud?
Not if you don’t want to.
Did the writer just spend months watching filth?
Well, he spent years talking to neuroscientists, sociologists, addiction experts and therapists with the help of the Wellcome Trust. You’ll have to ask him about the filth.
Will Christopher Green be in it?
Yes.
Will he be clothed?
Yes. And so will everyone else.
Prurience premiered at the Southbank Centre, London in Summer 2017.
It transferred to the Guggenheim Gallery New York in March 2018.
London Press:
The Times: “… a disorientating, provocative experience…. Theatrically the piece is audacious, springing a series of head-spinning surprises. This is the kind of art that leaves its mark on you. Unnerving, and uncomfortably compelling”
What’s On Stage: Green creates “..a deeply unsettling experience; one that gets right to the core of contemporary life”
The Guardian: “tests the limits of theatre…. Very funny and genuinely discomforting…at its fiendish, exhilarating best it makes you question not just attitudes to porn but how we experience reality”
The Stage: “Christopher Green’s show is a clever and discomforting exploration of consumption – compulsive and conscious – in late stage capitalism….An astute immersive show about porn addiction that plays with levels of reality and audience unease..”
Time Out (London): “Provocative.. confrontational..(Green) is to be admired for tackling this painfully taboo subject”
Time Out (Manchester): “Christopher Green is a tremendous talent. ..He manages to do a lot more than simply make us laugh, which he does with ease. He makes us think.”
Spy In The Stalls: “Prurience will leave you guessing and thinking long after you’ve left the theatre”