Rape scenes are a vital part of pop culture – they just need to be done right

Some of the most memorable scenes I’ve seen on screen involve sexual assault. Years after watching them, I can still recall every detail. How it was filmed. If there was music playing. Where I watched it. What feelings it stirred in my own body. These scenes have disturbed, devastated, and galvanised me. Often all at the same time.

So I was shocked to hear the actor and writer Doon Mackichan, of the comedies and , as well as the seminal sketch show , . Speaking at the Hay Festival over the weekend, the 61-year-old lamented