The pitchfork Disney cover

The pitchfork Disney

by Philip Ridley

'Ridley's play, with its surreal fantasies, has an edgy, alarming potency of its own, the writing unfettered by any expectations of how a play should be.' - Guardian Against a backdrop of post-apocalyptic dreams, blood-hungry dogs and labyrinthine nightmares, Presley and his twin sister, Haley, eat chocolate and tell each other stories in order to fend off their darkest fears. Everything will be okay as long as they stay together, inside. But then, one night, Presley sees a beautiful stranger through the window – 18-year-old Cosmo Disney – and, while Haley sleeps, unbolts the front door and lets him in. First produced in 1991, The Pitchfork Disney heralded the arrival of a unique and disturbing voice that single-handedly changed the face of British drama. Vivid and visionary, Philip Ridley's unsettling and dreamlike play offers a prophetic exploration of fear, sexual paranoia, and living in 'alternative worlds'. Published in Methuen Drama's Modern Classics series, Ridley's breakthrough work is introduced by Aleks Sierz (author of In-Yer-Face Theatre ).

More by Philip Ridley

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?