‘Can a child ever give their consent to be judged, and treated, as an adult? A chilling and powerful play exposing the mind of a child-ler, The Age of Consent delves ino the psyche cof two characters, One a teenager awaiting his release from a correctional facity after serving his time for the murder ofa child: the other, the mother of 2 child performer whose main rule of entertainment isthe three ‘TsTalent Teeth and Tis: What unites the characters isa sense of denial as well asthe humanity that can exist behind even the most monstrous abuse. “A brillantly developed piece that begins by making you laugh and ends by making you shudder’ Dol Telegraph “Moving, hard-hitting and chought-provoking’ Evening News “Uren and compasone! Sten PETER MORRIS The Age of Consent premiered atthe Edinburgh Fringe Fescival in 2001 and opened at the Bush Theatre, London, In January 2002 Consortium Book Sales ‘S138 itilFor Anite Cippindal The Age of Consent Peter Morris Methuen DramaMacs 1213 Vauthall Brge Ron, Tenine WIV iff Cops © 2002 Peter Mss i} “Type SX Corpoing DTP, Rash ee Pred ad bound Great Bay li Cort Woman Ld, Reding Bene A ghia hi pay ar sty eve od ven nl a eens bs en ein 2a sd without ainda conn, neat th conden, beg npn ! ne marque tae, ESE HUE BY PETER MORRIS RECTED BY EOWABD DICK 9 JANUARY - 9 FECan a child ever give thei consent to be judged, 3s an adult? Achiling and powertul play exposing the mind of a cild-kller, The ‘Age of Consent delves ino the pysche of two characters. One a teenager awaiting his release from a correctional facility after serving his time forthe murder of a cil, the other, the mother of a child performer whase main rule of entertainment Is the three T's Talot, Teeth and Ts, treated, What unites the charactors i a sense of denial, as well a the ‘humanity that can exist behind even the most monstrous abuse. The play achioved critical acclaim at the 2001 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and receives its London premiere st The Bush, “A brilliantly developed that Jaugh and ends by making you shudder" ‘THE BAILY TELEGRAPH ‘by making “Moving, hard-hitting and thought ' EVENING WEWS —— “Urgent and compassionate" ‘THE SCOTSMAN {have been reading through my old notebooks (and short of lowering my naked fot into a bucket of child algae, | cannot imagine a more demoralsin experience) to find th fst jotings 1 made toward The Age of Consent. | began making notes in late 2000, an the first entry is headed “manclogues about tablodizaton of youth’, then ists various rough ideas and characters fora play about young people. Originally | had contemplated @ numberof efferent manologues-Timmy was there from the beginning but some of the rejected speakers incuded “Tara Palmer-Tompkinson as Enoch Powel” and "Thora Hird as lan Bennett's Medea”. (wish my notes were a itle more detalled at this point, because I cant remember what | had in mind for those two.) Atany rate, when Stefanie asserted hese, it became clear that this was a play fortwo voices only, @ young mather and an older hil speaking in loose counterpoint. Aad | began to write the play you soe now. | don't know iit’ stil about tblidization (whatever ‘that is), but it's certainly about youth, and what it means tobe a child or a young person inthe world today. ‘An the tite? Wel the "age of consent" i, after al, society's arbitrary demarcation for where childhood ends. But enough people have sniffed out an allusion that | might as well admit that (unsurprisingly) | nourished a Jacobean adolescence by reading the political wrtings of Noam Chomsky.‘And fora play that began with an interest in tabloids, the tle ‘obviously chimes with Chomsky and Herman's Manufacturing Consent, ther classic study of the mass media and is manipulation of the informed acquiescence of democratic citizens But in writing this pay, and thinking about politics, | found “consent” leaping out of either context, childhood or poltics, an it began to seem ike an even more general condton of existence. How much ‘fife do we accept passively, without asking question or taking time to think? How much i forced upon us? How much of what takes place around us do we actually consent to? ‘And certainly theatre begin with consent, a consensual relationship: not just the wiling suspension of our diselie, but more ‘generally the profound sadomasoctism entailed when any audience assembles. | don't mean anything Kinky by that (est you Teel ‘uncomfortable, now, siting in this audience). | simply mean: tragedy ives pleasure, and we come to the theatre to watch these characters suffer, but we also come to empathise, and suffer with them. The double currency of drama is pain and enjoyment. So. | hope tonight you laugh but empaths as wel, | hope you ask (questions and take time to tink, and | hope you enjoy the play, Peter Moris Ser eapererreeeeee ‘Stephanie Timmy Director Designer Lighting Designer Original Music by Deputy Stage Manager Set Construction Press Representation Katherine Parkinson Ben Siverstone Edward Dick ‘Mike Britton Matt Kirby ‘Theo Holloway Serah Hunter ohn Everett Sally Ann Lycett {for Guy Chapman Associates) (01424 225 140) This performance lasts approximately 80 minutes without an Interval. ‘Tne Age of Consent was originally produced atthe Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2001 by Blue Theatre ProductionsSe rmeeeeete At The Bush Theatre Natherine Parkinson - St ‘tte Decor : ‘Acting ces nue The Age a CnsatPeasance, Enbugh Fogo tees ected 2007), Maltin Te Libertine (xt Payrause),Cnesa in igeia Executive Producer Fona Clark Finance and Admin Manager David Wright ea Marketing Manager Olivia Wingate Administrator Clare Knights Ben Siverstoe - Timmy |) terry Manager Nicola son Bon payd Stoen Carer inthe Paramount Cassis fn Get ea Simon |) teary Assistant Owen Lewis Shor) the young Harber Humber n Adan e's remake of Lola and Production Manager Pam Vision Tepow in The Browning Ves. Hs recent hee reds incde Gola in Chit Eecrician Watt Ky Tho Resist Rise of Arto Ui, and Leortas ina European our of The Resident Stage Manager John Everett Winer Ta. cua pre paces Peter Mortis - Playwright : Peter Mori's play, The Square Root of Minus ne, was aware the . mai became) oe Lil bal Aden 198 international Student Payscript Prize, and was late selected for the te Carle Beckman 2000 Eugene Nel HPC nth USA. He ast won he Sunday Tes Cristian Carters Paying rien 2000 fr Marge Soho Rep NYO, and in 201 for ABR bestia (Eaneurgh Fring) Other lays inte Second Amendment Gu (Union Doo Kura “hat, Lando} Bay Bar ighton Festiva and Edinburgh Fngeand a Kate Ryan stage adaptation of Blgakovs The Mast and Margara, Ptr wes | Box orice Dominique Gerard ‘ery for be ata rt. Sane Kinghor i Sette dvard Bie - Director i Michal Weog Edward Dick read Engle at Oxo Unersty, rect ced ease fe ew plays by Petr Mois The Age Of Consent leasance, Endurgh, The ‘cond Amendment Club (fr and Esnburgh Fringe), BoyBand i {Bighon Festival and Esndurgh Fringe, Sncrty and Doggy Ste (oth Oxford) Also Who's iad of Vigna Wool? (Oxford Payouse), King Leer (as President of OUDS), War of Words Best Production, Cameron Mackintosh New Wing Festival and Great Expectations (Minack Theat, Cornwall and tou) As Assistant Director: What the Butler Saw (heare Royal, Bath and National tour) and Dona Eras Revenge (versio Suis.Mike Britton - Designer Sinoe graduating trom Wenblegon School of Art Mike has worked manly ‘as assistant designer, working on productos both here and abroad Most recent production as assistant incute The Iceman Cometh (Ameide, Okt Vic and New Yor, no The Woods (nman, Eton Jo's and Tim Rice's ‘ia ew Yor), Cressida (Avery and Cameron Mackintsh's new musical The toes of Eastwick Tate Royal, Drury Lane). Gen design work incudes; Antony and Cleopatra (tonal tour, The Secret Rapture and Fain ale Questor Theatre, The ite and Adventures of Nehoas "Nickleby (ton Keynes) and The House of Blue Leaves (Central Schoo of ‘Speech and Drama} and most recent Who's ial of Virginia Wool? (Cord Ptayhouse), The Age of Consent Edinburgh Festival) and Madness InValencia PSC, The ter Pac) Watt Kirby - Lighting Designer Mat graduated rom Midlesex University in 1999, with 2A. Honours in Technical Theatr. Since then he has worked extensively asa theatre ‘echniian and iting designe, onng the Bush Theatre in 2007. Recent sins include Satnas Restaurant fr the Bush Theat, Pale Horse & ‘Blue Remembered Hs or Fe Go Theatre Co, and e-ghting the rational tour of Dark iver for Big Picture Productions. Fortunately he has never ‘worked inthe West End eee meee 30 Years of The Bush Theatre ‘The Bush Theatr open in Apr 1972n the upstairs dining room of The Bush Hote, Shapheras Bush Green, The room had provoust served as Lonel Bis Dance Stutio. Sine then, The Bush has become the county leading new wating venue wth over 350 productos, premiering the tnest naw wring talent. Payurights whose works have been performed here at The Bush nude ‘Stephen Poko, Robert Hoiman, Tina Grown, Snoo Wilson, John Bye, on Hutchinson, Try Johnson Bath Henly, Kevin Eot, Doug Lue, Dusty Hughes, Sharman McDonald, Bil Roche, Tony Kustne Cathrine