COMING UP FOR AIR

Ambika Mod is fearless in 'Porn Play', a bold addiction drama that declines to offer simple answers

- Annabel Nugent

Royal Court Theatre, London

As addictions go, porn used to be considered bottom-of-the-barrel stuff, perhaps even just a false cover for lasciviousness. It doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as heroin or alcohol, says Ani, the protagonist played by Ambika Mod in Sophia ChetinLeuner's daring new Porn Play. But the problem isn't just the amount of porn Ani watches but the nature of it: extremely violent and misogynistic. “It's fake!” she bites back when her boyfriend (Will Close) expresses concern. Over the next 100 minutes, the line between fantasy and reality wears thin.