Some Explicit Polaroids

by Mark Ravenhill

After fifteen years inside, political activist Nick emerges to find that the old causes of the 80s have become the lost causes of the 90s. As he struggles to get to grips with this new world, he collides with the new generation. Bonded by a love of pills, parties and therapy-speak, Nadia, Tim and Victor take Nick on a search for the happy-ever-after.

Sharp, satirical and pulsating with energy, Some Explicit Polaroids weaves an engaging urban fairytale for today. In an age where political change seems a distant memory, Ravenhill asks "how did we get from there to here?" and "where do we go now?"

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre

102 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 1999

About the author

Mark Ravenhill (born 7 June 1966) is an English playwright, actor and journalist.

His plays include Shopping and Fucking (first performed in 1996), Some Explicit Polaroids (1999) and Mother Clap's Molly House (2001). He made his acting debut in his monologue Product, at the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He often writes for the arts section of The Guardian. He is Associate Director of London's Little Opera House at The King's Head Theatre.

Reviews

[Steven Godin · Rating 4 out of 5]

First performed at the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds in September 1999, this was my second read Mark Ravenhill play and I found it more impressive and powerful than the first. The play deals with themes like domestic violence, AIDS, activism, body image, and the big differences between 80s and 90s Britain after a character (Nick) is released from prison. Gritty, somewhat satirical, and a bit disturbing, this is raw theatre that really struck a chord with me.

[Wentzel Lombard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be the most thought-provoking of Ravenhill's first collection of plays.

He has a very compelling way of depicting loneliness and the overall unsatisfactoriness of the human condition.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a product of its time, which is both funny and wonderful for us now - a series of 'explicit polaroids' of the postmodern (mostly Western) world. The people in it lie about everything that they should be confronting and tell the truth about everything that will corrode their souls with prolonged exposure. It's really smart but for the most part very very bleak - I'm really glad that Ravenhill gave us that glimmer of hope at the end because otherwise I would have hated this. Not sure I feel about the use of domestic violence as an allegory, but otherwise this is a great play; it's interesting to look at it now knowing what we've decided to collect from the rubble of the Real now that time has finally started working again.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo mejor de esta obra es la manera en que logra retratar el imaginario social de la sociedad inglesa en el cambio de milenio: VIH, la sociedad de consumo, el mágico pensamiento positivo y los contrastes entre una izquierda en crisis y el neoliberalismo rampante. Todo esto sin caer en lo panfletario. La obra funciona pòr sí misma a través de personajes bien confeccionados, diálogos hilarantes y escenas cargadas de tensión. Ojalá algún día pueda verla en escena.

[Michael A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good play examining the listlessness and fractured era of politics post-1991. no one knows where they stand in relation to each other and all except the disillusioned fresh-out-of-prison convict delude themselves into happiness, but they they're all just pretending

[Samuel Luther · Rating 4 out of 5]

this play is calmer than the other 3, but the characters are still as flawed and broken. i think that the messaging of this play is more on the nose, but it does produce a more heartfelt quality that balances the shock value more effectively. i liked this the best.

[Esma English · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[Elsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olipa kyllä mieleenpainuva lukukokemus. Estottomuutta alleviivattiin hengästymiseen asti ja hengästyminenkin seksualisoitiin. Välillä lukeminen oli aika puistattavaa, mutta myös humoristista ja koskettavaa.

[Aunbrey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some Explicit Polaroids est exactement le genre de livre qui ne manque jamais de me laisser perplexe une fois la dernière page tournée. Je ne savais déjà pas dans quoi je me lançais avant de le commencer puisque la quatrième de couverture ne fournit pas de résumé pour éclairer le lecteur mais des phrases de critiques journalistiques. Alors, en voyant ces avis émerveillés et fascinés par la qualité de l'écrit, je me suis quelque peu crispée. C'est toujours à ce moment-là que je sens que je ne vais pas aimer. Pas par simple esprit de contradiction mais plutôt parce que je vais échouer à remarquer les détails si grandioses dans la plume de l'auteur. Il arrive que parfois, le livre se révèle être une bonne surprise. Malheureusement, cette pièce de théâtre de Mark Ravenhill n'en fait pas partie.

Bien que l'oeuvre se lise très rapidement, j'ai refermé mon livre aussi sceptique que lorsque je l'ai commencé. J'ai beaucoup de mal à trouver un sens à ce genre d'histoire, et encore, je ne suis même pas sûre que le terme « histoire » soit vraiment adapté. Je ne sais jamais quoi tirer de ce genre de lecture, ni quoi en faire. Je n'ai pas non plus la moindre idée du but de son écrit. Je me noie complètement dans le flou et l'incompréhension.

Les personnages ne prennent pas forme sous mes yeux. Je ne comprends pas ce qui les habite, je les trouve creux. Je suis même sûre que si on ne m'avait pas donnée les thèmes présentés dans la pièce, je ne les aurais probablement même pas vus. Ces personnages très contemporains, qui ne croient qu'en l'argent et au sexe, ne me semblent pas réels. Ils sont comme transparents et sans saveur. Je n'arrive pas à comprendre pourquoi ils agissent comme ils le font. La lecture en elle-même me laisse dubitative. Le côté absurde de la pièce ne me permet pas d'accrocher à ce que je lis. Leur personnalité provoque plus d'interrogations qu'elle ne donne d'explication.

En conclusion, je suis loin d'être convaincue par cette lecture. Je ne suis définitivement pas une amatrice du théâtre de l'absurde, qui n'a vraiment pas de sens et qui me laisse plus que perplexe.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some old-school in-yer-face theater to remind me that theater doesn't have to stay up in the clouds. The play fits in the same shelf as stuff like LaBute and McDonagh - it's got something to say and it's going to say it in a way that feels like a gut-punch. Unfortunately, Ravenhill never quite takes the arguments anywhere. He says that you can't stay an angry young man your whole life and that connection is essential... but most of the thoughts I had about the play made me feel like I need to see it in order to see if it was something actually in the play or if it was just my mind jumping off from this starting point.

A few more thoughts on the same vein at Raging Biblioholism: http://wp.me/pGVzJ-lj

[Paulina · Rating 3 out of 5]

hmm. thing is, after Shopping and Fucking and Shoot, Get Treasure, Repeat everything done by Ravenhill seems kinda similar and not that impressive.
I mean, yes, the character lives are pretty empty, we get it. What next?

I have to do some more reading, but for the moment it seems as though he's stuck in that phase and needs to come up with some more basis rather than going over the whole Generation X - oh my life's some empty - oh the sex is so empty - routine.

hmmm.

[Bassem · Rating 4 out of 5]

You just have to see it on stage.

That's probably where your story with a Mark Ravenhill play should end: in the theatre.

[Matthew Akers · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an awesome play. Mark Ravenhill does it again - blending politics and sexuality so seamlessly. Very interesting, raw piece that is so relevant today!

[chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This play has a lot to say. I don't like that.