id ley ' s ▁publish er , ▁Fab er ▁and ▁Fab er , ▁refused ▁to ▁publish ▁the ▁script ▁and ▁the ▁original ▁production ▁received ▁regular ▁walk outs ▁from ▁audience ▁members ▁along ▁with ▁a ▁generally ▁divided ▁and ▁sometimes ▁host ile ▁response ▁from ▁critics . ▁Over ▁time , ▁Mercur y ▁Fur ▁has ▁generally ▁attract ed ▁a ▁much ▁more ▁positive ▁reception , ▁with ▁some ▁critics ▁even ▁ha iling ▁the ▁play ▁as ▁a ▁" master pie ce ". ▁ ▁The ▁play ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁entry ▁in ▁R id ley ' s ▁uno fficial ly ▁titled ▁" Bro thers ▁Tr il ogy ", ▁being ▁followed ▁by ▁Le aves ▁of ▁G lass ▁and ▁Pir anha ▁He ights . ▁ ▁R id ley ▁dedicated ▁the ▁play ▁to ▁his ▁agent ▁Rod ▁Hall , ▁who ▁was ▁murder ed ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁several ▁months ▁before ▁the ▁play ' s ▁premi ere . ▁According ▁to ▁R id ley , ▁the ▁dedic ation ▁was ▁not ▁originally ▁intended ▁as ▁a ▁response ▁to ▁Hall ' s ▁death ▁as ▁it ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁planned ▁some ▁time ▁prior ▁to ▁when ▁Hall ▁was ▁killed . ▁ ▁Story ▁ ▁Mercur y ▁Fur ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁a ▁post - ap oc aly ptic ▁version ▁of ▁London ' s ▁East ▁End , ▁where ▁gang ▁violence ▁and ▁dru gs ▁- ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁hall uc in ogen ic ▁but ter f lies ▁- ▁terror ize ▁the ▁community . ▁The ▁protagon ists ▁are ▁a ▁gang ▁of ▁youth s ▁surv iving ▁by ▁their ▁w its . ▁They ▁deal ▁the ▁but ter