Somewhere between Lena Dunham’s ‘Girls’ and Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window’, ROTTEN is a rip-roaring rollercoaster of a horror-comedy play, currently back on tour across the UK. It follows the lives of three struggling young actresses in London as they spiral into an obsession with the rich influencer in the window across from them, who seems to be hiding a secret. Writer Josie White takes us through her process, perspective, and thoughts on the world of theatre right now.
Could you give us a short introduction to ROTTEN?
“These aren’t particularly my own words, but I really really like them – someone posted it on twitter the other day – saying that it’s ‘traitors meets mean girls.’ Which I thought was great”.
The play’s a comedy, but there’s a lot of social commentary in there as well; what stood out to you as the main theme?
“We’re kind of branding it as a comedy-thriller, and I knew that wanted it to be a thriller-esque type play… but comedy, and especially dark comedy, is so important to me as a writer. I feel like when you’re tackling some hard subjects – like the ones that come up in the play – it’s really important to have that element of humour because I feel like it is how people get through harsh realities sometimes. And especially the audience which I’m trying to connect to, 16-30 year olds”.
“I kind of knew it was going to have the political element because the play’s set in London, it’s set around people who have recently fallen on very difficult times. It was just part of it. I feel like it was already embedded in the story. And it just happened to be that it was satire. But it’s important to me to be ‘on’ current affairs”.
“I am myself very interested in what’s going on in the world, and especially since Covid it really went up, the amount of people who started watching the news and keeping up with things. I feel like that kind of need and want to know what’s going on has stayed with people, which I think is a really, really good thing”.
You’ve spoken before about how you’ve drawn from your own personal experiences writing these characters. Do you think that the situation that they’re in, the frustration that they feel, is common for young artists nowadays?
“Yeah I think it’s really common for young people in general to be very frustrated with what’s happening and their circumstances. Because it kind of seems now that you can go to university, you can get that top degree, work really hard, and still not be able to support yourself properly, to buy a house, or even rent a place that you want. You can get a great job and it’s still really difficult to cover things. So I feel like there’s a bigger gap than ever now between the ‘haves’ and the have-nots. And I feel like ROTTEN is really about a group of people who are kind of obsessed with the life that they want”.
That jealousy, and the parasocial attachment, do you think that’s another thing that’s really come to the forefront among young people recently?
“Yeah, ‘parasocial’, I love that. It’s really like that, I feel like social media – which is another element of the play – is really so influential, and influential in the lives of young people especially. A lot of people get their news and their updates on the world through social media. Politicians are using social media. Royalty is using social media. Just – everyone is on there, and people are portraying a lifestyle that couldn’t be further from the truth. I feel like, though people really do know deep down that social media really is just people posting what they want you to see and what they want you to think about their lives, it’s still difficult sometimes”.
Do you think that there is a gap in theatre when it comes to issues around social media?
“There is a huge gap, and I think it’s there for multiple reasons. I think a lot of young people haven’t grown up going to the theatre – maybe it’s not accessible, or the stuff that’s in their local places doesn’t appeal to them. And the expense! It’s so expensive! Everywhere you go but particularly in the big cities. It gets to the point where it can be very unreachable, very inaccessible”.
What would you like to see change?
“It’s really difficult for up-and-coming artists to get their work in theatres. I completely understand that these theatres are trying to keep the lights on, they’re trying to stay open as a place people can still come to. They’re under so much pressure, with so much financial difficulty in putting things on. But as an up-and-coming writer you really do have to sell to them and you have to have your own funding and you have to have a good structure and know that the show is going to sell well. It’s all about reassuring the venues”.
“I’d love to see theatres get a bit more funding, a bit more money so they can really develop further and give new artists the chance to put their work on in their spaces. Which I’m sure they’d all love to do. Everyone wants that, it’s just a really difficult time”.
Do you think that there’s a risk to the new generation that should be emerging now, but is faced with these limitations?
“Totally, there’s a massive risk that probably some of the greatest new artists won’t ever be seen, and we’ll lose some amazing talent. It’s frightening because you want people to come into theatre and to change it and to put on something amazing. As someone who works in theatre, I love seeing new stuff, I love seeing plays that make you think. But I think the lack of stability will put people off”.
Back to the play, it’s also a horror, a genre we’re more used to seeing on screen or in books. What are the challenges in bringing the genre to the stage?
“You only have a certain amount of time – for us it’s an hour show – and to fit everything in and to make it so people can grasp things and grasp them quickly. Because, you know, a show can be great but if people can’t understand it then there’s no real point to it. With TV and stuff there’s 8 episodes where you can slowly come round to an idea or figure something out – there’s a lot more time. But in theatre we don’t have that luxury. It has to grab the audience’s attention and hold it for that hour”.
With the fast pace and escalating action, was it ever difficult to keep the characters grounded in the reality of their struggles?
“Yeah, it was difficult. I think I reached a point where I knew it was going more towards farce, and the more it got out of control, the more farcical it became. But I feel like at the beginning, where it’s just the three girls in the apartment and it’s very clear that they’re struggling and they’re talking about their situation – it really gives you a moment to connect with them as people before the chaos hits. I feel like that’s important, to see people in a heightened environment when they are struggling, because you do want people to pay attention instantly”.
How important is it to you that the characters are sympathetic? Do you think they need to be likeable?
“Some people think it is important for characters to be likeable in order to be sympathized with, but I’m not sure it is. I think it’s important for them to be relatable, for you to root for them even when they’re doing the wrong thing, or the wrong thing at the time. And I feel like the way that you see their struggles… that’s something everyone can relate to. At some point in their lives, or right now”.
“And I think that the fact that they’re funny instantly makes people warm to them a bit more, it makes you laugh before they start going down the rabbit hole of destruction. So I’m not sure about the likeable part, but I definitely agree with a character being relatable, it’s really essential”.
Did you find that the issue of likeability was coming up more because the characters are women?
“There was definitely feedback that they weren’t likeable, it didn’t really bother me, but I’m sure there is an expectation for women to be likeable, and for the characters as well. What I really want to do with the play is to break those societal norms and have these women be admired – maybe not admired – these women are relatable and funny and quick, and that’s why audiences are rooting for them”.
“The fact that they make terrible decisions is a different part of it. They’re making those decisions because of the fact that they’re so desperate to change their circumstances. I want the audience to put themselves in their shoes. What would you do in this situation? They’re pursuing their idea of happiness. They’re not choosing to do evil things for the sake of it. They’re doing it because they think it will lead them to what they want”.
What do you want your audiences to be thinking about when they walk out?
“I want them to be thinking that they’ve has a really fun last hour. That they enjoyed themselves and they laughed. I think that’s really important because theatre is entertainment and you want people to be entertained because if they enjoy something at that venue then hopefully they’ll come back and see someone else’s work. Or maybe they haven’t watched that much thriller and it’ll get them more into the genre. I also want them to be discussing what they thought of the different characters and the different situations and saying ‘Well what would you do in that situation?'”
What’s next? What are the stories you want to tell?
“That’s a really big question. I’ve got a little list of things, and I take notes on my phone sometimes whenever I think of something and be like ‘Oh there is definitely a play in that!’ But I think next I’m working on something discussing social media, pop culture – like we were talking about earlier. I’m very interested in the darker side of Reality Television. I think it’s kind of been on our radar for a while for not very good reasons and I’m interested in exploring the effect that being exposed to something like Reality TV, being on a show maybe, has on a young person”.
