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Jack Thorne Plays: One
Acclaimed for his screenplays for TV dramas including Skins, Shameless, The Fades, This is England '86/ '88/ '90 and Glue, Jack Thorne first emerged as a writer of unflinching, compassionate and often challenging plays for the stage. Described as a powerful voice for Britain's youth (Independent), he remains one of the most distinctive talents working in theatre today.
This collection, with a revealing introduction by the author, covers a period of intense creativity beginning with When You Cure Me (Bush Theatre, 2005), a painful and painfully funny play about being very young and in love, and coping with serious illness at the same time. 'One of the year's finest pieces of new writing' Evening Standard.
In the monologue play Stacy (Arcola Theatre, 2007), twenty-something Rob tells the story of a confusing couple of days in which everything in his life seems to have gone wrong. 'A pin-sharp, brilliant piece of work' Time Out.
2nd May 1997 (Bush Theatre, 2009) distils all the euphoria and despair of New Labour's landslide electoral victory into three stories told with 'quiet profundity and verve' (Telegraph), while Bunny (Edinburgh Fringe, 2010) is a white-knuckle ride through the streets of contemporary Britain, written for a solo female performer. 'Terrific' Scotsman.
Red Car, Blue Car is a heartbreaking short play about guilt, grief and responsibility, written for and performed at the Bush in 2011. Finally, Mydidae (Soho Theatre, 2012), a two-hander set entirely in a bathroom, is an electrifyingly intimate account of the darker side of love which hits audiences 'like a punch in the gut' (Whatsonstage.com).
This collection, with a revealing introduction by the author, covers a period of intense creativity beginning with When You Cure Me (Bush Theatre, 2005), a painful and painfully funny play about being very young and in love, and coping with serious illness at the same time. 'One of the year's finest pieces of new writing' Evening Standard.
In the monologue play Stacy (Arcola Theatre, 2007), twenty-something Rob tells the story of a confusing couple of days in which everything in his life seems to have gone wrong. 'A pin-sharp, brilliant piece of work' Time Out.
2nd May 1997 (Bush Theatre, 2009) distils all the euphoria and despair of New Labour's landslide electoral victory into three stories told with 'quiet profundity and verve' (Telegraph), while Bunny (Edinburgh Fringe, 2010) is a white-knuckle ride through the streets of contemporary Britain, written for a solo female performer. 'Terrific' Scotsman.
Red Car, Blue Car is a heartbreaking short play about guilt, grief and responsibility, written for and performed at the Bush in 2011. Finally, Mydidae (Soho Theatre, 2012), a two-hander set entirely in a bathroom, is an electrifyingly intimate account of the darker side of love which hits audiences 'like a punch in the gut' (Whatsonstage.com).
- GenresPlays
320 pages, Paperback
First published November 20, 2014
About the author
Jack Thorne
65 books94 followersJack Thorne (born 6 December 1978) is an English screenwriter and playwright.
Born in Bristol, England, he has written for radio, theatre and film, most notably on the TV shows Skins, Cast-offs, This Is England '86, This Is England '88, This Is England '90, The Fades, The Last Panthers and the feature film The Scouting Book for Boys. He currently lives in London.
Born in Bristol, England, he has written for radio, theatre and film, most notably on the TV shows Skins, Cast-offs, This Is England '86, This Is England '88, This Is England '90, The Fades, The Last Panthers and the feature film The Scouting Book for Boys. He currently lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 24, 2022
I really enjoyed the character study in When You Cure Me. Not only Rachel but her whole supporting cast felt so believable. From her lashing out to her boyfriend's faux saviour status. It's obviously a difficult subject, but the psychosomatic symptoms also create another layer of interest.
Stacy was provocative but not particularly interesting. Kind of an uncomfortable read. 2nd May 1997 had a good final act but is far too long with three separate stories only connected by election day. Bunny is depressing and perhaps a bit sensationalist. Red Car, Blue Car was dull.
Mydidae, however, was a really great naturalistic play that uses subtext well. If the first play in the collection showed promise, the final one showed progress. The bits in the middle were less my speed.
Stacy was provocative but not particularly interesting. Kind of an uncomfortable read. 2nd May 1997 had a good final act but is far too long with three separate stories only connected by election day. Bunny is depressing and perhaps a bit sensationalist. Red Car, Blue Car was dull.
Mydidae, however, was a really great naturalistic play that uses subtext well. If the first play in the collection showed promise, the final one showed progress. The bits in the middle were less my speed.
June 4, 2016
Full of vivacity, grit and sharp-edged compassion, this is a timely collection of theatre works by one of our most up-and-coming screenwriters.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews