A collection of short plays written by Vincent, and monologues written by Sarah Kane, also directed by Kane, produced by Vincent and Sarah’s company ‘SORE THROATS THEATRE’.

SYNOPSIS

Performed for two years at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in 1990 and 91, the show consisted of a constantly changing programme of short plays written daily by Vincent O’Connell, and three monologues, the first performed works by Sarah Kane. In 1990 her plays ‘Comic Monologue’ and ‘What She Said’ were performed, and in the second year her 3rd play in the trilogy, ‘Starved’ constituted the second half of the show.

RESPONSES

The first production was acclaimed by some (Toby Harden in ‘The Scotsman’ called it ‘Raw, honest and innovative…The true spirit of the Fringe’) and dismissed by others (Michael Billington was muted in The Guardian); the show played to largely packed houses for its 30 day run. ‘Dreams/Screams 2’ had less attention, The Scotsman declining to review it because the show was constantly changing. A third version of the show was staged by Sore Throats at the 1992 Brighton Festival Fringe, at a variety of venues, as an again constantly-changing show ‘Death, Food and Sex’ – if you paid for Death and Food, you got Sex for free. Sarah’s 3 monologues were in the same month performed together at the Pentameters Theatre in Hampstead, under the collective title ‘Sick’. It was the only other time they have been staged, apart from Sarah’s own performance of ‘Comic Monologue’ at Bristol University.

You can read a sample of the short plays written by Vincent here in a scan of the script as actually written on the day, from an audience member’s title suggestion (“Cocksure Women and Hensure Men”. from the Lawrence essay). This particular play was the starting point for Vincent’s short film ‘Conform’, made as part of his Sex Crimes series, which you can watch on this site.

Below is some programme memorabilia from the two productions, including cast lists (Click to enlarge).