The Nether : Post-show Discussion

A year or so ago I was invited to take part in a post-show discussion for the Royal Court, following a performance of Jennifer Haley’s “The Nether”. Excellently chaired by Christopher Campbell, the Royal Court Literary manager, Rory Mullarkey (writer of Cannibals) and I chatted for 40 minutes in a wide-ranging discussion about virtuality, parenting and online manners.

It’s a nerve-wracking thing to do, if I’m honest. You’re sat watching a play for the first time, trying to take in as much as possible and immediately form some thoughts incase you’re asked to share them, while at the same time trying to gauge where your response should be pitched. Talking about videogames in public is usually tricky, although I’ve always found that to be a big part of the fun. You can divide and exclude as quickly as you can warm-up and unite an audience by using phrases like “who remembers Elite?” Lots of opportunity for playing, even if it is on a bit of a tightrope.

I’m sharing this, because with Continue just kicking off for 2017, I thought this might make a useful extra bit of context.