Five people lost consciousness while watching a play at the National Theatre on London’s South Bank. The production of “Cleansed” by Katie Mitchell is based on a play by Sarah Kane and depicts scenes of torture, rape and violence. The director said she believed the play was more about love than violence, with the “durability” of the unfortunate participants’ affections being tested. The BBC reports: People were warned of “graphic scenes of physical and sexual violence” in promotional material, the theatre said. Up to 40 people reportedly walked out of the production which depicts a character having their tongue cut out. Cast’s nightmares Sarah Kane has been described as one of Britain’s most influential playwrights and killed herself aged 28, a year after Cleansed was first staged at the Royal Court in 1998. The play is set in a university campus and draws on the torture chambers of the former Yugoslavia, during the civil war, for inspiration. It features a gay couple, a young woman and a dancer who are tortured by a doctor on stage in an attempt to test their love. Fast facts: The National Theatre is publicly funded and showcases established playwrights and new writers, its hits [...]