Just Whores

‘Just Whores’ is about the sauna sex industry, and was researched with the help of the Scottish Prostitutes Education Project and Brighton Street Outreach Service. It tells the story of Irma, a student who funds herself through college by working as a prostitute one summer. Although the content is gritty and ‘issue-based’, the strong personalities of the women workers (and Janine, the streetwise inner voice of Irma) give the play life, warmth and comedy.

‘Just Whores’ has had six successful productions. It was first staged by EUTC as part of Edinburgh’s FebFest in 1994 and from there was selected to perform at the Traverse Theatre. It was then produced at the 1994 Edinburgh Festival Fringe by Radge Theatre Company, to sell-out houses.

Updated with new research, it was performed in Brighton, summer 1999, and for the Brighton Festival 2001, then in summer 2003 at the New Venture Theatre, directed by Martin Nichols (also to sell-out houses).

The research is old now, and there have been changes in legislation regarding the sex industry both locally and nationally. There have been changes to the nature of the work and the people who do it (and the prices). But the heart of the play is about human relationships within the oldest profession, and that story is as fresh today as a decade ago.

Runner-up for the Questors Theatre new play competition, 1995.

Duration: one hour 45 minutes.