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- Mercury Fur is a play written by Philip Ridley which premiered in 2005. It is Ridley's fifth adult stage play and premiered at the Plymouth Theatre Royal, before moving to the Menier Chocolate Factory in London. Set against the backdrop of a dystopian London, the narrative focuses on a party at which the torture and murder of a child is the main entertainment. The original production was directed by John Tiffany as part of the This Other England season of new writing by Paines Plough and Theatre Royal, Plymouth in England. The part of Elliot was played by Ben Whishaw, who during the previous year had achieved fame and an Olivier Award Nomination for Best Actor for his performance as Hamlet. The play is particularly noted for being the subject of controversy: Ridley's publisher, Faber and Faber, refused to publish the script and the original production received regular walkouts from audience members along with a generally divided and sometimes hostile response from critics. Over time, Mercury Fur has generally attracted a much more positive reception, with some critics even hailing the play as a "masterpiece". The play is the first entry in Ridley's unofficially titled "Brothers Trilogy", being followed by Leaves of Glass and Piranha Heights. Ridley dedicated the play to his agent Rod Hall, who was murdered in May 2004. According to Ridley, the dedication was not originally made in response to Hall's death as it had been arranged some time prior to when Hall was killed. (en)
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