Man... wish we had a play like that while I was in theater. Stupid "The Foreigner" and stupid "Saint Joan"...
But our own Queen Bee has a point. I'd even expand that to note that in mainstream, tickle torture is treated as a ridiculous joke. Setting up a scene, making it appear that terrible things are going to happen... the victim screams!! Then nutty music plays as we witness that someone's being tickled. Joke's on the audience, tee hee!
I don't mind so much that it's treated like a joke but what I've noticed is that the victim is more often male... which suggests it's MORE ridiculous that a guy's getting tickled than a girl or perhaps because people do see the allure of it and don't want anyone seeing a lady bound up and tickled because it'd just be treated as pornography. Anyone have a similar opinion or am I talkin' greek?
Speaking of, I am reminded of a scene in that nutty show, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys in which he goes to Tarterus, and there's this really dirty guy with a big bushy beard gritting his teeth as though in pain, chained to a rack. Herc notes to Hades that such torture might be going a bit far, and Hades notes that it was no worse than what the man did in life. Zooming out we see a goblin critter tickling his feet.
Watch out, all ye merciless 'lers... Tarterus is gonna turn the tables on you!
edit: Aww, nuts! I'M a merciless 'ler! *offers sacrifices to the gods*