Product

Almost ten years after Mark Ravenhill performed Product for its premiere, this revival starring Olivia Poulet breathes fresh life on a post-9/11 play that interrogates the obsession the creative industries have with terrorism and shock. It does feel like things have moved on a little in the past decade, and some of the emphasis now comes across as a little misplaced, but Poulet’s performance and the sharpness of the writing create a beautifully incisive double act.

Product takes the form of a one-sided film pitch to a "star" actor Julia who remains invisible and inaudible to us. The producer (played by Poulet) rattles through what sounds like a shockingly bad script entitled Mohammed and Me, which is about a woman who falls in love with a terrorist and begins joining in with his Islamic fundamentalism. The exec insists that it’s “fucking edgy,” though it sounds about as edgy as a balloon bundled in Cath Kidston wrapping paper.

Ravenhill’s sharp writing makes clear points about the entertainment industry and its habit of capitalising on world events to make a fast buck. Poulet gloriously captures the sycophancy of movie producers looking to bag a big name, insisting that she would “love to see you play the verge of madness”. The monologue occasionally breaks down when the imaginary Julia starts talking and moving, and it would be nice to see a more up-to-date version of the same idea, but this is an assured performance which demonstrates Ravenhill’s ability to be endlessly innovative.