What is Samuel Richardson's Pamela?

Martin Crimp on reading Richardson’s Pamela

A 15-year-old servant (Pamela) is approached by the master of the house (Mr B), who solicits her for sex. She resists and he abducts her. Encouraged by his housekeeper (Mrs Jewkes), he tries and fails to rape her. More twists and turns ensue, they realise they’re in love, they marry.

This is the plot of Samuel Richardson’s Pamela, whose anonymous publication in London on 6 November 1740 was an immediate and scandalous success. By 1742 it had already gone through six editions, and a 15th edition appeared in 1810. Widely translated, it also formed the basis of plays by Voltaire – Nanine, ou le préjugé vaincu (1749) – and Goldoni – Pamela nubile (1750) and Pamela maritata (1760).

(Find the full article by playwright Martin Crimp, as well as further writing by Amia Srinivasan on the politics of desire, in the play programme for When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other available at the NT Bookstore)

When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other Access performances

Access Performances

Audio-described performances, for blind and visually impaired people:
Fri 22 February, 7.30pm
Sat 23 February, 2.30pm preceded by a Touch Tour

Captioned performances, for deaf or hard-of-hearing people:
Fri 15 February, 8pm
Sat 2 March, 2.30pm