Don't Be Silly is a stunning portrayal of the growing menace and escalating violence of a husband, Michael, toward his wife, Pamela. The path to violence is subtly signposted in scenes depicting Michael's arrogant belittling of Pamela and his selfish, sexist, condescending dismissal of her feelings and aspirations, leaving her progressively downtrodden. Bitter invective leads on to rough handling and the scene is set for a step-by-step descent to savage inhumanity. The scope of the treatment is deepened further by characters' remarks on domestic violence, relating how this was commonly seen in the 1970s as variously a sign of virility, the fault of the injured party and an expression of commitment to the relationship. The harmful effect on the development of the couple's two children is also adroitly developed. The two leading actors play their parts so realistically that anyone who has experience of domestic violence is likely to be emotionally triggered by watching this play and so I advise anyone in this situation to do so with caution.
Review of Don't Be Silly
