image1 image2 image3 image4 image5 image6 image7 image8 image9

IN-YER-FACE THEATRE

• What's been on...

in 2000


October 2000
Under the Blue Sky by David Eldridge (Royal Court)
Brilliantly observed and subtle look at three teacher couples - everything you ever wanted to know about love, sex and taking responsibility. Please Sir, can I take the afternoon off to see the matinee?
Vincent River by Philip Ridley (Hampstead) East End gothic meets Greek tragedy when fiftysomething Anita confronts the teenager who claims to have found her murdered son's body. A savage and vividly imagined experiential drama.
Navy Pier by John Corwin (Soho) Finely written American tale of a literary theft that destroys both thief and victim. So well scripted that it doesn't matter that all four characters do little more than lounge in seats as if on a talk show - or confessional.
To the Green Fields Beyond by Nick Whitby (Donmar) Beautifully crafted story of a First World War tank crew who face impending doom with a resonant mix of apocalyptic fantasy and democratic debate.
The Boy Who Left Home by Michael Wynne (Lyric, Hammersmith) A fairy story for adults, written with great humour and panache by the author of The Knocky. Evocatively staged by Nick Philippou's Actors Touring Company.

^top

November 2000
The Force of Change by Gary Mitchell (Royal Court)
A roaring thriller that takes apart the Royal Ulster Constabulary and casts a lurid light on divisions within the loyalist community. Edgy, perceptive and thought-provoking.
Further Than the Furthest Thing by Zinnie Harris (National) Written in a strange and evocative language, the gripping story of love and homesickness based on the fate of the remote Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha. Colonialism, desire and despair.
Howie the Rookie by Mark O'Rowe (Bush) A pair of sublime monologues that tell the wild and exhilarating tale of a bizarre Dublin feud - lit up with flashes of fantasy and myth. Great stuff.
Keepers by Michele Winstanley (Hampstead) You've all heard of the urban jungle, well, here's a play that's set in the monkey house of a zoo: examines the way we treat animals and limits of our humanity.
Hijra by Ash Kotak (Bush) Bollywood sunsets meet Wembley dawns in this warmhearted feelgood play about gay love and arranged marriages - watch those cross-dressed dancers move their hips.

^top

December 2000
I Just Stopped By To See the Man by Stephen Jeffreys (Royal Court)
Can white men sing the blues? Big, bold play set in 1975 about a mega rock star and the comeback of an aged blues legend. Good play, great sounds.
Far Away by Caryl Churchill (Royal Court) Wonderfully written vision of a future in which genocide and civil war spill over into the animal kingdom: political theatre with added imagination.
Rita, Sue and Bob Too/A State Affair by Andrea Dunbar/Robin Soans (Soho) Classic account of life on a Bradford council estate during the Thatcher years in an Out of Joint double bill with a moving 2000 update from the same place. Powerful stuff.
Ancient Lights by Shelagh Stephenson (Hampstead) Celebrity culture under the spotlight as a mega Hollywood star spends Christmas with two English college chums. Hilarious satire.

^top

What's on now

• More info on new writing

• And: new writing book list

^top

More Sierz...

What's on


Introduction
What's in-yer-face theatre?
First edition
Updates

The nasty nineties
New writing A-Z
Hot hits
Soundbites
What's on
Archive
Credits