| The Pitchfork Disney | |
|---|---|
 Poster advertising the original 1991 production | |
| Written by | Philip Ridley |
| Characters | Presley Stray (Male, aged 28) Haley Stray (Female, aged 28) Cosmo Disney (Male, aged 18) Pitchfork Cavalier (Male) |
| Date premiered | 2 January 1991 |
| Place premiered | Bush Theatre, London |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | In-yer-face theatre |
| Setting | "A dimly lit room in the East End of London" |
The Pitchfork Disney is a 1991 stage play by Philip Ridley.[1] It was his first professional stage work, having also produced work as a visual artist, novelist, filmmaker, and scriptwriter for film and radio.[2] The play premiered at the Bush Theatre in London, UK in 1991 and was directed by Matthew Lloyd, who directed most of Ridley's subsequent early plays.[3][4]
Although initially met with negative critical reviews for its script,[5] the production was enthusiastically received by predominantly young audiences, making it something of a controversial hit.[6][7] Over time, the play has come to be regarded as a seminal work in the confrontational 1990s style and sensibility of British drama termed in-yer-face theatre.[8][9][10]
The play is the first entry in Ridley's unofficially titled "East End Gothic Trilogy", followed by The Fastest Clock in the Universe and Ghost from a Perfect Place.[11][6]
In 2015 the script was republished as part of the Methuen Drama Modern Classics series, recognising the play's impact on modern British theatre.[12]
- ^ Ridley, Philip (1991). The Pitchfork Disney. Methuen Drama. ISBN 9781472510471.
- ^ Sierz, Aleks (24 May 2012). Modern British Playwriting: The 1990s: Voices, Documents, New Interpretations. Great Britain: Methuen Drama. p. 89. ISBN 9781408181331.
- ^ CV of director Matthew Lloyd
- ^ Review by Ian Shuttleworth of the original production of Ridley's 2000 play Vincent River directed by Matthew Lloyd
- ^ "The Pitchfork Disney". Theatre Record. Vol. XI, no. 1. England: Ian Herbert. January 1991. pp. 11–14. ISSN 0261-5282.
- ^ a b Sierz, Aleks (21 October 2015). Introduction. The Pitchfork Disney. By Ridley, Philip. Modern Classics (Reissue ed.). Great Britain: Methuen Drama. pp. 1–24. ISBN 978-1-4725-1400-4.
- ^ Charlie MacGechan (23 February 2021). "Working With Philip Ridley / With Multi-Award-Winning Director Mathew Lloyd". Run At It Shouting (Podcast). Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ Gardner, Lyn (6 February 2012). "The Pitchfork Disney – review". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Audio recording of lecture given by Aleks Sierz entitled 'Blasted and After: New Writing in British Theatre Today' at a meeting of the Society for Theatre Research, at the Art Workers Guild, London on 16 February 2010
- ^ "Philip Ridley On ... Revisiting The Pitchfork Disney". WhatsOnStage.com. London. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
- ^ Rebellato, Dan (17 October 2011). "Chapter 22: Philip Ridley by Dan Rebellato". In Middeke, Martin; Paul Schnierer, Peter; Sierz, Aleks (eds.). The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary British Playwrights. London, Great Britain: Methuen Drama. p. 426. ISBN 9781408122785.
- ^ Modern Classics Edition of The Pitchfork Disney listed on Bloomsbury Publishing's Website