Trigger warnings are a gift when I’m writing for the stage | Letter
By providing audiences with guidance on the content of a play, we are giving them a tool to use – or not use – when making decisions on what to see (‘It’s ludicrous’: Ian McKellen sparks debate over trigger warnings in theatre, 2 October). As a writer, director and performer, this is a gift to receive, empowering me to tackle challenging material in a manner that is head-on, confrontational and, yes, often potentially triggering, knowing that the audience has given informed consent to this journey.
To know that a play contains, for example, scenes of self-harm, does nothing to ruin the experiences of an audience that came knowing that, because the dramatic build-up is still present and powerful. However, it allows the director to put aside concerns about the audience’s capability to handle the material.
While the idea of noting that Romeo and Juliet contains scenes of suicide may seem laughable to someone fully familiar with the play, we should be reaching out to new audiences rather than assuming everyone has the same arts educational background.
Jamie Hale
Lewisham, London
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