Declan Donnellan is one of the UK’s most acclaimed theatre directors. His company Cheek By Jowl, which he formed with Nick Ormerod in 1981 is recognised across the world as one of the true innovators of theatre to have emerged in the last 30 years, bringing a new intensity to many of the classic plays in the theatrical and literary canon, from Shakespeare to El Cid, Sophocles to Tennessee Williams. This month Cheek By Jowl are bringing their modern-dress version of John Ford’s 17th century tragedy ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore, directed by Donnellan, to Cambridge Arts Theatre. This play is a visceral, bloody drama about the incestuous relationship between a brother and sister, and remains as dramatic and shocking as when it was first performed around 1630. Explorer spoke to Declan Donnellan about the play and what audiences can expect when Cheek By Jowl’s production comes to Cambridge later this month…
How would you sum up ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore, and what reaction has your production received so far?
“It’s basically Romeo and Juliet but the problem isn’t that they’re from different families, but that they’re from the same one. It’s such a profound taboo, so they know it’s going to end very badly. It’s a thrilling play, it’s going incredibly well in Paris with cheering audiences nightly which we’ve been delighted with, particularly because so many of them have been young people.”
Where do you begin with a production like this? Do you revisit the text and take it all from there?
“Yes, to a certain degree, but mostly I build it round the actors. I get the actors to do exercises then Nick and I piece together what we’re doing. But we don’t ever go in with a fixed concept, it tends to be very organic.”
Do you think the play has the same impact today as it would have done on audiences in the 17th century?
“I think what’s wonderful about the play, doing it now, is that you don’t have to change anything. In Romeo and Juliet for example you have to create a real sense of feud between the Montagues and Capulets, and it can be quite difficult to do that. But with this the taboo is still absolutely intact in terms of incest – you don’t have to do anything clever. It’s something that goes very, very deep in us, so that’s very interesting.”
Why has the play endured – is it simply that the taboo’s still intact or are their other reasons?
“I think Ford is a very good writer, and he does give voice to something that’s very disturbing. It’s a beautifully-written play – it was written about 20 years after Shakespeare died, and the writing is already looking back to the great days of Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. You can feel when you’re reading it and watching it that Ford had almost certainly seen these plays, and it almost looks back nostalgically at times.”
And there’s a very modern setting for this production…
“It’s very much set in a young girl’s bedroom of today, so it’s bang up to the minute. A lot of the imagery comes from her imagination. But every play I do, I set it now – if the play’s any good it will still make sense.”
‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore, Thursday 26-Saturday 28 January, 19:45 (plus Saturday matinee at 14:30). Cambridge Arts Theatre, 6 St Edward’s Passage, T: 01223 503333
