London has recently produced a new play under the name of ‘Cleansed’. BBC has announced that at least five audience members have fainted upon viewing the mass amounts of gore within the play. Throughout there are multiple scenes that are practically unwatchable, including dismemberment, rape, and torture. Many walked out mid-play as well, 40 people at the least. “Well it’s true a lot of people walked out and one person fainted when I saw #Cleansed @NationalTheatre” wrote Twitter user, Michael Berg. 

The National Theatre described the play to be “the border between beauty and brutality”, making the gore seem rather restrained. Though it appears to be a high understatement as it is filled with carnage. Characters are often cut apart and beaten. Quentin Letts wrote a rather negative review about the piece, calling it “a corker of dull awfulness.” Guardian reviewer Michael Billington had a similar opinion, claiming that the “escalating horrors have a sense-numbing effect that outweighs its redemptive lyricism.”

Yet there are also a handful of people out there who have found beauty in this gruesome entertainment.  “Saw Cleansed by Sarah Kane @NationalTheatre & it was as raw, sinister, elliptical, moving, disquieting & horribly pertinent as it should be” said another twitter user, Roxana Halls.

Katie Mitchell, the play’s director, has had much to say about the negative reviews. She claims that the piece is truly about love winning and those who only see the gory side are completely wrong. “All of the torture that is going on is led by a doctor whose making tests about love, its durability. The gay couple in it, the durability of their love is being tested, and they are being tortured to see whether their love will survive, and their love does.” said Mitchell.