Theatre of Cruelty (Discworld)

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Terry Pratchett The Discworld series 2nd short story - 2nd City Watch story
Outline
Characters:	Ankh-Morpork City Watch Carrot Ironfoundersson Death
Locations:	Ankh-Morpork
Motifs:	Fantasy clichés,

"Theatre of Cruelty" is a short Discworld story by Terry Pratchett written in 1993. The name derives from a concept of Antonin Artaud (Theatre of Cruelty), in which it has been known for cast members to be injured or mutilated for the sake of being genuine.

It was originally written for W. H. Smith Bookcase magazine and was then slightly modified and extended, being published again in the programme of the OryCon 15 convention, and then again in The Wizards of Odd, a compilation of fantasy short stories.

It has since been made available on the Internet along with dozens of translations by fans, with Pratchett having stated, "I don't want to see it distributed in print anywhere but don't mind people downloading it for their own enjoyment."

The story involves both the Ankh-Morpork City Watch and a parallel of Punch and Judy.

A murder has been committed: a street entertainer, found apparently battered to death with a very small blunt object, on him bite marks from a very small crocodile. Investigating the incident in his typically direct manner, Carrot Ironfoundersson discovers the death was an accident, the man having choked on a swazzle. It emerges that the entertainer had invented a parallel, live-action version of Punch and Judy, using -- and abusing -- a troupe of gnomes as the live cast. Carrot asserts that such brutal theatre could never find favour in Ankh-Morpork: "That's not the way to do it".

[edit] External links

• "Theatre of Cruelty" at The L-Space Web

Reading order guide
Preceded by Guards! Guards!	2nd City Watch Story Published in 1993	Succeeded by Men at Arms

v • d • e Terry Pratchett's Discworld (Portal) Novels: The Colour of Magic – The Light Fantastic – Equal Rites – Mort – Sourcery – Wyrd Sisters – Pyramids – Guards! Guards! – Eric – Moving Pictures – Reaper Man – Witches Abroad – Small Gods – Lords and Ladies – Men at Arms – Soul Music – Interesting Times – Maskerade – Feet of Clay – Hogfather – Jingo – The Last Continent – Carpe Jugulum – The Fifth Elephant – The Truth – Thief of Time – The Last Hero – The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents – Night Watch – The Wee Free Men – Monstrous Regiment – A Hat Full of Sky – Going Postal – Thud! – Wintersmith – Making Money – I Shall Wear Midnight Short stories: "Troll Bridge" – "Theatre of Cruelty – "The Sea and Little Fishes" – "Death and What Comes Next" – "A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices" Other books: The Discworld Companion – The Science of Discworld – The Science of Discworld II: The Globe – The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch – The Pratchett Portfolio – The Art of Discworld – The Unseen University Challenge – The Wyrdest Link – The Streets of Ankh-Morpork – The Discworld Mapp – A Tourist Guide to Lancre – Death's Domain – Nanny Ogg's Cookbook – The Discworld Almanak – Where's My Cow? – The Unseen University Cut Out Book – The Discworld Diaries – Once More* With Footnotes – Wit and Wisdom of Discworld Games: The Colour of Magic – Discworld MUD – Cripple Mr Onion - Discworld – Discworld II – Discworld Noir – GURPS Discworld – Stealth Chess – Thud Films and TV series: Welcome to the Discworld – Soul Music – Wyrd Sisters - Hogfather – The Colour of Magic – Going Postal - Troll Bridge