10

Oct 10 / 8 pm / Princely Serbian Theatre

Production: Atelje 212 / Serbia

Duration: 160 min

Photography: Boško Đorđević

About the performance:

Why is justice blind? Is it always impartial? Are its horizons narrow? Lawyers, who are friends at the same time, take opposing sides in a rape case. The main witness is a female victim, whose life seems to be far removed from theirs. However, the turbulent dynamics and gloom of her life seamlessly spill over into relationships between work rivals and friends, their destinies entangled and changing under the barrage of competing versions of the truth. Consent, Nina Raine's powerful, painful yet entertaining drama, examines the evidence on every side and brings the Greek goddess Nemesis into the modern capitalist world, to unerringly direct her righteous wrath and give everyone their due. Written in biting language, Nina Raine's smart and multi-layered play deals with current topics, especially close interpersonal relationships that turbulently intertwine in the professional and personal lives of the young people who are the main actors. Consent premiered at London's National Theater in 2017, before relocating to the Harold Pinter Theater in the West End the following season. This "suspenseful, entertaining modern tragicomedy" (Daily Telegraph) takes a close look at the law, while putting contemporary relationships on the docket.

source: Atelje 212 promo material

Nina Raine on Consent:

After Weinstein, in the #MeToo and I Believe Her era, this drama certainly has a special vibe running through it. I wouldn't say it's just because of the message, which I'm otherwise happy with, but I don't think a play should root for only one side. I think it should open up the issues, not wrap them up nicely with a bow. I don't think I've ever had a piece that fits the moment we're in so well. I hate the idea of writing a play about Brexit; a kind of immediately, as an immediate response. It usually takes me a long time to write a text. Usually my preparation takes a long time, I let it "simmer" for years, which means I can't respond to current events, but in this case the timing was right. Like a wine that has been in the cellar for a long time, but then you bring it out at the right moment and it's a hit.

https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/blog/nina-raine-consent