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.
