Robert Tanitch reviews Nether at Royal Court, London SW1
Some people spend all their time on the Internet. Pornography is the most popular content. American playwright Jennifer Haley’s deeply disturbing new play imagines a time in the not too distant future when a businessman has created a lucrative virtual reality site for paedophiles called The Hideaway, which is totally immersive with sound, smell and touch.
Paedophiles are enticed to the site by sensations they can no longer experience in the real world. Here is a Victorian house where the clientele can indulge their fantasies, adopt roles and play games, have sex, and murder sweet little innocent Victorian girls with an axe.
The businessman (an avuncular, sinister Stanley Townsend) says he is providing an opportunity for his members “to live outside of consequence” and do something they could never otherwise do; and he argues what they do doesn’t matter since they are doing it only with an image.
He says people should be free in their imagination. But just because it’s virtual doesn’t mean it isn’t real. There are consequences. There is a correlation between virtual Behaviour and actual offence.
The outstanding feature of Jeremy Herrin’s production, a joint effort by the Royal Court and Headlong, is the striking design by Es Devlin. There is also a remarkable performance by a child actor, Zoe Brough.
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