Writer: Georgia Luckhurst, The Stage
The Years director Eline Arbo has admitted her surprise at London audience members who fainted watching an abortion scene in the play.
Arbo, artistic director at the Internationaal Theater Amsterdam, said the scene had inspired only a “couple of reactions” in her native Netherlands – but “nothing like those” it received in the UK.
It follows reports in the summer that a number of theatregoers had felt woozy during a simulated onstage abortion in The Years’ original UK run at the Almeida Theatre.
Arbo told the Guardian: “We had a couple of reactions in the Netherlands, but nothing like those in London. So it was unexpected. It took me by surprise.
“I mean, people have seen Sarah Kane’s plays, haven’t they? The scene isn’t even realistic; she’s just explaining what happened. It’s implied. Shakespeare is a lot more bloody. I prayed for them every night that the show wouldn’t have to stop for a long time. Interestingly, it was more often men than women who reacted like that.”
Arbo, who succeeded Ivo Van Hove at the helm of the ITA, was speaking ahead of The Years’ West End transfer to the Harold Pinter Theatre, which will run from January 24 to April 19.
Her comments follow ones made by a cast member in the production, actor Romola Garai, who argued in favour of depicting the act in December – saying: “I cannot think of a better time in history to detail this.”