Walk of Shame - Glass Half Full, Review - Review

In line with National Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week (1st February - 7th February), it only feels right to combat the harmful messaging from recent production Walk of Shame by Glass Half Full Theatre.

The story:

Meet Alice (Stephanie Silver).

Alice is bored on a ‘mundane Thursday’ and equally as bored with her boyfriend, Billy, as she purposefully picks a fight and goes out clubbing to punish him.

After being refused entry to a club, she attempts to seduce a bouncer.

Then, in Wetherspoons bathroom (the only place she’s let into after spending her entire overdraft, save 10p, on double vodkas), a woman warns her behaviour will lead to trouble.

Meet Liam (Sam Lando) he's a 'numbers' guy.

Liam tells us about how he grew up with his single mother who shaped his life morals until her death.

Like Alice, he finds himself out clubbing, and on drugs on a Thursday night.

Lando delivers the lines in a charismatic way that almost glazes over the cringe and downright bizarre comments such as:

The pair meet and quickly become intimate.

It’s hard to peel your eyes away, like a car crash waiting to happen. They go back to his, but suddenly, two minutes away from the ending, Alice changes her mind.

Liam doesn't listen, and abruptly, the production ends with the scene below.

What did Liam’s dying mum add to the story? That it’s okay because he’s had a tough life? Does being high on drugs absolve blame? Is it okay because Alice said she wanted it?

I would like to think that the writers included these elements to provoke some deep reflection over this situation’s morality. But regardless of the conclusion, you come to; there’s no consequence to show these actions were wrong. It ends so abruptly, preventing any reflection.

The harm in the message

Walk of Shame reads as a pretentious attempt to paint the ‘no means no’ story in a new light. Not only does it fail, but it also sends out an incredibly harmful message. Alice’s portrayal matches the stereotype that sexual assault happens to those “asking for it”.

Instead, an example of a powerful, thought-provoking stance on women’s sexual assault:

Victim blaming occurs from both the victim and the assailant.

“Some victims begin to ask whether they were in part responsible for what happened to them either as a result of what they were wearing or as a result of how they behave when they are out” – Liesbeth Kennes, victim support worker.

Unfortunately, Walk of Shame does all of that, and I’m appalled that the writers (Amelie Lovsey & Stephanie Silver) are women. This production contributes to the harmful narrative that rape/sexual assault only happens to those who provoke it.

If you need any further information or support, please visit https://rapecrisis.org.uk/