The best little brothel in Edinburgh swings its doors open in Fat Pooch Productions’ debut show Bloody Mary’s. It chronicles the final days of Mary McKinnon (Erin Clarke) after stabbing William Howat (Jordan Monks) to death in self-defence. The trial that follows shows no mercy and sentences her to hanging and dissection. This immersive play analyses the autonomy of its characters through a gripping story — yet falls short when it comes to nuance and subtlety.
The Gossip (Sophie Nell Williams) sets the scene for this Edinburgh night. Mary McKinnon is introduced as the madam who cares for her girls like a mother. The atmosphere in the brothel is light and warm, until William Howat bursts in, making demands and predatory comments towards the girls, until he is kicked out. When Howat returns, McKinnon stabs him to death, leading to her trial and subsequent hanging.
I felt like an onlooker quietly tucked into a booth at Bloody Mary’s, as Jane (Jorgie Buchan) is welcomed into the family, along with the audience. Soundtracked to the chatter of the girls and folk music, Bloody Mary’s is a lesson in immersive theatre. The story is tight and compact: not once did Bloody Mary’s drag on and bore the audience, instead gripping unrelentingly, forcing you to pay attention from the moment of McKinnon’s introduction, all the way to her hanging.
However, the dialogue was lacklustre at best, and ignorant at worst. Subtlety is lost with lines like “I should be worshipped because I have a cock,” that leave nothing to the imagination. Lack of nuance follows, as prostitution is described as a way for women to reclaim their bodies and enjoy sex, neglecting to consider the idea that prostitution strips people of their bodily autonomy rather than reclaiming it.
This Edinburgh history lesson goes beyond the Fringe, exploring how scorned women are looked at with a contemporary lens. It may fall short with its writing, but as a debut it sets an exciting precedent for what’s to come from Fat Pooch Productions.
Bloody Mary’s is running until 19 August at theSpace @ Venue 45. Buy tickets here.
Image by Fat Pooch Productions, provided to The Student as press material.
