28, 29 and 30 March 2017 in Mr. Bricolage – Sofia Ring Mall, 22.00

Mark Ravenhill’s Shopping and Fucking is a play about addiction, human trauma and loss. Director Mariy Rosen sets the play in a real store, as a continuation of his work in site-specific theatre. For this project, Rosen worked with theatre group Replica who, in their work, explore documentary theatre.

The action in Shopping and Fucking pithily jumps from one location to another, although the actors throughout it all seemingly remain in one and the same reality where buying and selling are the driving forces behind everything.

The realistic environment of the store is a natural backdrop for the play’s action, where the products on sale form the main props used by the actors. The collision between the literal objects and their chimerical use creates new meaning. The costumes are inspired by Japanese street fashion. Mobile phones, tablets and gaming devices create the visual style of the performance, where they stream video, follow the movement of actors and control the video environment.

A demonic master of ceremonies who puts the play’s characters to the test, schizophrenic characters each played by two actors and a transgender teenager who is everyone’s whipping boy, collectively lead the audience to an Aristotelian catharsis. Even without physically doing so, the audience should be able to leave the store at least for a little while.

director: Mariy Rosen
scenographer: Petya Boyukova
digital artist: Albena Baeva
artists assistant: Marina Genova
music: Konstantin Timoshenko
photos: Delyan Georgiev

cast: Blagoy Boychev, Boryana Peneva, Ivaylo Dragiev, Irina Andreeva, Milena Ermenkova, Milko Yovchev, Mihail Milchev, Ovanes Torosyan

The play is produced by Replica Theatre, with the support of the Culture Ministry, Blagoevgrad Municipality, Mr. Bricolage and studio Reaktiv.