The Pitchfork Disney

The Pitchfork Disney
Poster advertising the original 1991 production
Written by	Philip Ridley
Characters	Presley Stray (Male, aged 28) Haley Stray (Female, aged 28) Cosmo Disney (Male, aged 18) Pitchfork Cavalier (Male)
Date premiered	2 January 1991
Place premiered	Bush Theatre, London
Original language	English
Genre	In-yer-face theatre
Setting	"A dimly lit room in the East End of London"

Presley Stray (Male, aged 28)

Haley Stray (Female, aged 28)

Cosmo Disney (Male, aged 18)

The Pitchfork Disney is a 1991 stage play by Philip Ridley. It was Ridley's first professional work for the stage, having previously produced work as a visual artist, novelist, filmmaker, and scriptwriter for film and radio. The play premiered at the Bush Theatre in London, UK in 1991 and was directed by Matthew Lloyd, who went on to direct the majority of Ridley's early stage plays.

The play was a controversial hit and is generally regarded as kick-starting a new, confrontational "In-yer-face" style and sensibility of drama which emerged in British theatre during the 1990s.

The play is the first entry in Ridley's unofficially titled "East End Gothic Trilogy", being followed by The Fastest Clock in the Universe and Ghost from a Perfect Place.

In 2015 the published script was reissued under the Methuen Drama Modern Classics range, recognising the play's impact on modern British theatre.

The play opens with the characters of Presley and Haley, two adults living alone in the East End of London. They lead a childish fantasy existence, living mainly off chocolate. Their parents died a decade before, although their exact fate is not described.

They tell each other stories and discuss their dreams and fears.

From their window, they see two men, one of whom is apparently sick. Agitated, Haley sucks on a drugged dummy and goes to sleep. Despite their fear of outsiders, Presley brings the sick man in, who promptly vomits on the floor. The man introduces himself as Cosmo Disney, and explains that he and his partner are showmen. His sickness is caused by the fact that his particular talent consists of eating insects and small animals. Cosmo emotionally manipulates Presley who tells Cosmo about a recurring dream he has, involving a serial killer named 'The Pitchfork Disney'.

Almost immediately after Presley finishes his story, Cosmo's partner arrives. He is a huge, masked and apparently mute figure named Pitchfork Cavalier. His act is simply taking his mask off to reveal his hideously deformed face. He sings a wordless song, dances with the unconscious Haley and eats some chocolate. Cosmo convinces Presley to accompany Pitchfork to the shops, promising friendship. As soon as they leave, Cosmo performs a sexual assault on Haley by inserting one of his fingers soaked in medicine into her mouth. Presley unexpectedly returns and realises Cosmo's true motives, and breaks his finger which he used to assault Haley. Cosmo flees. Pitchfork briefly returns, terrifies Presley and then leaves. Haley awakes, and the two express their fear.