Amateur Girl
Commissioned by Hull Truck Theatre (2009)
Published by Samuel French
“Gary says it’s not about glamour no more. Men want girls in their own home, them you could have in real life.”
Julie is an auxiliary nurse, working long hours for a low wage in a Nottingham hospital. Clubbing with the girls breaks the routine but Julie longs for some real excitement, a bit of spare cash and a chance to control her own destiny.
When her new boyfriend buys a camcorder, Julie sees a lucrative new career on the horizon. She’s drawn into the world of amateur girls: the so-called stars of home-made pornography. What begins as a bit of fun becomes anything but as Julie discovers the dark reality behind the fantasy business.
Cast: 1-female
Script and licensing enquiries
Facts & Figures
Amateur Girl began as a BBC Radio 4 15-Minute Drama for the series Minimum Wages 2.
Julie Riley played by Julie in the original Hull Truck production, directed by Nick Lane
Lucy Speed revived the role in Fifth Word Theatre’s UK tour, directed by Kate Chapman.
Amateur Girl: Fifth Word/Nottingham Playhouse
Reviews
Amateur Girl
“Observations of the de-humanising influence of the sex industry do not come much sharper. ”
“A brilliant and sobering narrative, reinforced by sharp, almost cinematic sound effects... what you never feel for Julie is condemnation, and that's the triumph of it.”
“Amateur Girl immediately engages our sympathies for the central character and never lets them go ... [it] is both entirely plausible and an indictment of the collusion between economics and exploitation.”
