MASTERPIECES is a play about pornography. It starts with a porn merchant describing with satisfaction the profitability of his company, how harmless his wares are, the good it does 'the public' to be freed from the puritan values of earlier times.
The play then examines the effect of pornography on women's lives and mens' reactions to pornography and their attitudes to women, in both public and personal relationships. This is particularly shown through the character Ravena who at the beginning of the play backs up her husband and other men against Yvonne by saying that porn is harmless and possibly beneficial to the frustrated 'man in the street'.
Then she starts realising the connections in the way men see women and the way that they treat women in practice. At the end of the play she is on trial for murder, after she pushes a man who accosts her, under a tube train. Masterpieces has been described as an 'uncompromising angry play'.
Well it did make me angry, but a lot of that anger finished up being directed at the play itself. Yes, it is powerful. It does show some positive images of women — both Ravena and Yvonne fight back. But whilst Masterpieces showed the horrific situations that women are forced into its final statement is one of despair.
After the court case Ravena says: 'I don't want anything to do with men that look at pornography. I don't want anything to do with men that cut women up, men that tell women to lie back and relax .... and men who tell misogynist jokes! These are the final lines.
But the point is she has just been imprisoned, presumably for years. The play therefore ends when her choice of her own actions has been taken away from her. Right through the play I felt individual men were getting away with it.
Yes, they are shown as shits. Yes their actions are seen as inexcusible. Unfortunately I don't believe that method of portrayal would have one iota of effect on any man that saw the play. For me as a woman, Masterpieces was a powerful reiteration of how women suffer. It does however compromise in my opinion in the way its statements are presented. Scene after scene had a topping of witty repartee as though to make sure that the audience got 'good entertainment' value despite the subject matter.
Mind
Mind you I am not complaining about lines like — 'How do you get three men to paper a room. Quite easily, but you have to slice them thinly.' But time after time it was the old sexist jokes we got.
I know it was supposed to force home the reality of mens' attitudes towards women, but the men in the audience laughed. No doubt they were having their consciences raised at the same time.
A play worth seeing — but I don't advise going along with a man: The horrific bits disturb them, the jokes make them laugh and that lets them miss the whole point.
Masterpieces by Sorch Daniels is showing at the Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1