“Mark Ravenhill has brought off the most difficult thing of all, which is to follow a shocking, notorious and morally
bruising first play with a shocking, morally bruising and potentially equally notorious second play. ”

“an important play”

“strong performances in an unnerving play that proves that Ravenhill is much more than a one hit wonder”

“ingenious and highly entertaining”

“a heady mixture of inter-textual high jinks, tough, sexually explicit black comedy, and moments of desperate anguish.”

“…compelling…scabrous, satirical and full of literary allusions.”

“The six young actors…work with passion and precision, and the writing has a hypnotic sense of violence and pain, like
burning coals dipped in vitriol”

“Handbag is a timely, literate play, probing one of society's most fundamental problems with remarkable acuity.
Challenging, truthful and grippingly dramatic, this is the stuff of theatrical benchmarks”

“Handbag…combines urban grit with sly wit, and reveals (Mark Ravenhill) as a writer of real daring”

“There are few stage authors more interesting than Mark Ravenhill… He is - it now yest more evident - a searing,
intelligent, disturbing sociologist with a talent for satirical dialogue and a flair for sexual sensationalism. ”

“there is no denying the vigour of Nick Philippou's production, and there are fine performances, especially from Paul
Rattray as a rent-boy and Faith Flint as a pizza munching waif.”