Mark Ravenhill’s SHOPPING & F**KING, like so much of the home-grown Brit- Mark Ravenhill’s SHOPPING & F**KING,
ING & F**KING, like so much of the home-grown Brit-
ish drama of the 90’s, has been categorised under the label of ‘in-yer-face’
theatre: with its unashamed scenes of violence, swearing, drug taking and
striking stage imagery, the play became infamous when it opened at Lon-
don’s Royal Court Theatre in 1996.
But, inevitably, this limiting attempt at categorisation only constrains the
play, and the reasons for why I think it is important.
Ravenhill’s world of emotional dependency, junkies, drug dealers, rent boys
and above all else, commerce and money, is one that seems peculiarly fa-
miliar as well as dramatically harrowing. We may not know many people like
Mark, Brian or Gary, but their world of disposability, cheapness, ‘buy-one-get
-one free’, vacuity and material gain is one that has come to define the
times we live in.
It is enough to say that ‘Shopping & F**king’ accurately portrays a world in
which the rules of the market, in all it’s greed and essential emptiness, has
come to rule over the lives of it’s characters.
Thank you for your support.
Lee Anderson, Director
The UNIVERSITY COUNCILLING SERVICE offers short-term counselling and workshops
for all currently registered students free of charge. Their aim is to support you in mak-
ing a success of your university life, whatever challenges are ahead.
The consultation and counselling sessions are confidential and independent, and
information shared with us is not disclosed to others.
TO CONTACT THE SERVICE
Telephone:+44 (0) 118 378 4242
Email:counselling@reading.ac.uk
ish drama of the 90’s, has been categorised under the label of ‘in-yer-face’
theatre: with its unashamed scenes of violence, swearing, drug taking and
striking stage imagery, the play became infamous when it opened at Lon-
don’s Royal Court Theatre in 1996.
But, inevitably, this limiting attempt at categorisation only constrains the
play, and the reasons for why I think it is important.
Ravenhill’s world of emotional dependency, junkies, drug dealers, rent boys
and above all else, commerce and money, is one that seems peculiarly fa-
miliar as well as dramatically harrowing. We may not know many people like
Mark, Brian or Gary, but their world of disposability, cheapness, ‘buy-one-get
-one free’, vacuity and material gain is one that has come to define the
times we live in.
It is enough to say that ‘Shopping & F**king’ accurately portrays a world in
which the rules of the market, in all it’s greed and essential emptiness, has
come to rule over the lives of it’s characters.
Thank you for your support.
Lee Anderson, Director
The UNIVERSITY COUNCILLING SERVICE offers short-term counselling and workshops
for all currently registered students free of charge. Their aim is to support you in mak-
ing a success of your university life, whatever challenges are ahead.
The consultation and counselling sessions are confidential and independent, and
information shared with us is not disclosed to others.
TO CONTACT THE SERVICE
Telephone:+44 (0) 118 378 4242
Email:counselling@reading.ac.uk
CAST CAST
MARK Jim Lumsden MARK Jim Lumsden
Film & Theatre (3rd Year) Film & Theatre (3rd Year)

LULU Ashley Davies LULU Ashley Davies

Film & Theatre (2nd Year) Film & Theatre (2nd Year)

ROBBIE Luke Eliott ROBBIE Luke Eliott

Pharmacy (2nd Year) Pharmacy (2nd Year)

GARY Adam Keene GARY Adam Keene

Politics & International Relations (2nd Year) Politics & International Relations (2nd Year)

BRIAN Dan Harding BRIAN Dan Harding

Film & Theatre (3rd Year) Film & Theatre (3rd Year)

CREW & CREATIVE CREW & CREATIVE

DIRECTOR Lee Anderson DIRECTOR Lee Anderson
PRODUCER Pippa Ward PRODUCER Pippa Ward
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Ellie Harmsworth ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Ellie Harmsworth
PRODUCTION MANAGER Harriet Jessup-Neary PRODUCTION MANAGER Harriet Jessup-Neary
STAGE MANAGER Anthony Roberts STAGE MANAGER Anthony Roberts
SOUND DESIGN Andy Whyment SOUND DESIGN Andy Whyment
SOUND OPERATION Rachel Allen, Fred Rush SOUND OPERATION Rachel Allen, Fred Rush
LIGHTING OPERATION Kat Hodgkinson, Ruth Evans LIGHTING OPERATION Kat Hodgkinson, Ruth Evans
COSTUME Naina Nightingale COSTUME Naina Nightingale
PHOTOGRAPHY James Corrall PHOTOGRAPHY James Corrall

With thanks to Ryan Snook & Ian Macdonald With thanks to Ryan Snook & Ian Macdonald

ruds COMMITTEE ruds COMMITTEE

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Eve Nicol artisticdirector@ruds.co.uk
MANAGING DIRECTOR Harriet Jessup Neary managingdirector@ruds.co.uk
ARTISTIC CONSULTANT George Bull • TECHNICAL CONSULTANT Anthony Roberts
ADMINISTRATION OFFICER Katie Gunning • FINANCE OFFICER Chris Field
MARKETING OFFICER Anthony Henson
EDUCATION OFFICER Lee Anderson • SOCIAL SECRETARY Dean Lamb
CONTACT: committee@ruds.co.uk
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Eve Nicol artisticdirector@ruds.co.uk
MANAGING DIRECTOR Harriet Jessup Neary managingdirector@ruds.co.uk
ARTISTIC CONSULTANT George Bull • TECHNICAL CONSULTANT Anthony Roberts
ADMINISTRATION OFFICER Katie Gunning • FINANCE OFFICER Chris Field
MARKETING OFFICER Anthony Henson
EDUCATION OFFICER Lee Anderson • SOCIAL SECRETARY Dean Lamb
CONTACT: committee@ruds.co.uk