This sexual assault drama is entirely void of hope. A transfer from the Abbey theatre in Dublin, Asking for It addresses the way rape destroys lives. Some moments are hard to watch, but an urgent topic is not a fast track to a good play. Lacking any kind of reclamation of voice and refusing to break away from cliche, it makes for an exhausting evening. And with no new insight, Asking for It does little to extend the conversation around sexual assault.
Based on the novel by Louise O’Neill, it is the story of 18-year-old Emma (an affecting Lauren Coe), a schoolgirl in County Cork who is gang-raped, with photos of the assault then posted on Facebook. Meadhbh McHugh’s adaptation, in collaboration with Annabelle Comyn, has all the right intentions, but doesn’t justify its form as a play. Though the set is impressive and the cast are good, the dialogue is weak, the structure is dull and dragging, and the most engrossing passages are chunks of text in voiceover that may as well have been read from the book.
The play begins with a group of friends gearing up for a house party and the first half ends with descriptions of photos of the attack. The second half takes us into Emma’s home, and we see how her world shrinks while the impact of the assault splinters away from her as her story is amplified by gossip and media reports. Emma’s brother Bryan (Liam Heslin), the only real support she has, voices a welcome rage at the way their parents are more preoccupied with the shame ricocheting around their family than their daughter’s wellbeing.
The care of the production team is admirable: there are notices in the venue and the programme offering support for those affected by sexual violence. This is a necessary step too often overlooked in theatre, and the relief at seeing them is a reminder of the value of conversations around consent.
• At Birmingham Rep until 15 February.
• In the UK and Ireland, Rape Crisis, which offers support and counselling for those affected by rape and sexual abuse, can be contacted on 0808 802 9999 (12-2:30pm and 7-9:30pm) or at rapecrisis.org.uk. Other helplines can be found at supportline.org.uk.
