JOSIE IRELAND
October 2019
This devised piece follows Tom as he recounts his love story with his ‘Porphyria’, shown through poetic flashbacks. The parley between Tom’s past & present reaches a climax when ‘Porphyria’ wakes to find Tom in her apartment, and his illusion is shattered, for she has no idea who he is. In an effort to preserve his ‘perfect’ love story, Tom kills her and sits in silence with her body.
Be sure I looked up at her eyes
Happy and proud; at last I knew
Porphyria worshipped me; surprise
Made my heart swell, and still it grew
While I debated what to do.
That moment she was mine, mine, fair,
Perfectly pure and good: I found
A thing to do, and all her hair
In one long yellow string I wound
Three times her little throat around,
And strangled her. No pain felt she;
I am quite sure she felt no pain.
- Excerpt of Porphyria’s Lover, Robert Browning
Writer: Charlotte Armitage
Performers: Charlotte Armitage, Mariam Mikeladze, Juliette West
Lighting & Video Designer: Josie Ireland
Photography: Josie Ireland