Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Sam, this would be a great title for your memoir!”. Today, I want to share one of my favourite Renaissance dramas of all time. It’s a quite niche and I get, it you came for the contemporary chick lit reviews, but we all need a little more culture™ in our lives.

Set in Parma, Italy, young Giovanni has recently returned from the University of Bologna, but he’s got a bit of an ethical dilemma that he needs to discuss with the Friar. You see, Giovanni has developed ~feelings~ towards his sister, Annabella. Naturally, the Friar tells him that his desires are just straight up weird and evil and that he better get on his knees and start praying. Does Giovanni listen? Heck no!

Annabella is basically in the Renaissance version of The Bachelorette with suitors including Bergetto, Grimaldi and Soranzo lining up to win her heart. Does she want any of them? Heck no! And chaos ensues…

‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore is the blueprint for drama. Think Game of Thrones with more comedy, but also EastEnders with more gore… and sibling relations – Although, that has that probably already happened in EastEnders.

The entire play is essentially Ford highlighting the hypocrisy of Italian society through a cast of self absorbed lovers and a cardinal who is happy to protect a murderer while assimilating the fortunes of the dead. Despite its cartoonish plot, ‘Tis Pity harbours a dark side as Ford gives us a rather disturbing and bleak commentary on sexual and political passion and the sexism and rigid gender rules women in Renaissance society faced. Seeing the fates of Annabella and Hippolita – and even poor Puttana! – play out is both fascinating and heartbreaking all at once.

As conniving and unsufferably evil as they were, I must admit that I lived for the Machiavellian characters in the play. Ford has created some truly detestable villains. Vasques is very much an unsung Lord Baelish who is plotting away behind the scenes while Soranzo puts even Joffrey to shame!

‘Tis Pity is a total riot from start to finish! Every time you think it couldn’t possibly get any worse, it does. With more twists and turns than a cheap garden hose, it definitely ranks within my top plays of all time.

RATING
★★★★★