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Violence and Son
'People know, you're my boy. And they know better than to lay a fucking finger on you. See? You are safer here with me, than you have ever been.'Liam's 17 years old, loves Dr Who and has lost his mum. He has had to move from London to Wales, to the valleys, to the middle of nowhere, to live with a dad he doesn't know. Whose nickname isn't Violence for nothing.
- GenresPlays
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2015
3 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Gary Owen
63 books15 followersGary Owen is a Welsh playwright and screenwriter. His recent plays include Violence and Son which had its premiere at the Royal Court in June 2015, and Iphigenia in Splott for which he won the James Tait Black Prize for Drama.
His other works include Love Steals Us From Loneliness, Crazy Gary's Mobile Disco, The Shadow of a Boy, (winner of Meyer Whitworth and George Devine awards), The Drowned World (winner of Fringe First and Pearson Best Play awards), Ghost City, Cancer Time, SK8, Big Hopes, In the Pipeline, Blackthorn, Mary Twice, Amgen:Broken, Bulletproof, and Free Folk. His adaptations include Spring Awakening and Ring Ring, a new version of La Ronde, for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; and Dickens' A Christmas Carol for Sherman Cymru. He is a Creative Associate at Watford Palace Theatre, where his plays We That Are Left, Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian, and Perfect Match have been produced, and Associate Artist at Sherman Cymru. Gary also co-created and co-wrote two seasons of Baker Boys, an original series for BBC Wales. Work in 2016 includes Jeramee, Hartleby and Oooglemore, a play for toddlers at the Unicorn Theatre, to be directed by Tim Crouch; and Mrs Reynolds a’r Cena Bach, a Welsh adaptation of Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian for Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru.
His other works include Love Steals Us From Loneliness, Crazy Gary's Mobile Disco, The Shadow of a Boy, (winner of Meyer Whitworth and George Devine awards), The Drowned World (winner of Fringe First and Pearson Best Play awards), Ghost City, Cancer Time, SK8, Big Hopes, In the Pipeline, Blackthorn, Mary Twice, Amgen:Broken, Bulletproof, and Free Folk. His adaptations include Spring Awakening and Ring Ring, a new version of La Ronde, for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; and Dickens' A Christmas Carol for Sherman Cymru. He is a Creative Associate at Watford Palace Theatre, where his plays We That Are Left, Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian, and Perfect Match have been produced, and Associate Artist at Sherman Cymru. Gary also co-created and co-wrote two seasons of Baker Boys, an original series for BBC Wales. Work in 2016 includes Jeramee, Hartleby and Oooglemore, a play for toddlers at the Unicorn Theatre, to be directed by Tim Crouch; and Mrs Reynolds a’r Cena Bach, a Welsh adaptation of Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian for Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 19, 2024
I just don’t care about doctor who but very powerful otherwise.
June 30, 2019
"El paso de pendejo a cabrón" en una obra minuciosa, precisa.
Me sentí interpelado por ella. La manera en que la violencia va filtrándose en los poros, pasando sla herencia primero sutil y luego contundentemente, es impecable. La manera en que las microagresiones van justificándose con el vehículo emocional remite a evaluar los "crímenes pasionales" desde otra arista, una en la que no es no. Y dejarse llevar no es consentir.
Un cuestionamiento del autor hacia la hombría y lo que significa "convertirse" en hombre, así como a la reconstrucción de la memoria mediante lo que decimos de lo que hacemos. Las extrañas maneras en que buscamos compensar lo que carecemos mediante el daño al otro. La "exigencia" de amor. El conflicto entre lo que creemos ser y lo que demostramos ser. La imagen de uno mismo que se modifica por las acciones y decisiones que tomamos, y las repercusiones que esas acciones tienen en los otros, porque siempre hay un otro inaprehensible.
La prisión del espacio como metáfora de los sueños no cumplidos. De la falta de seguridad para buscar una vida mejor porque se siente que se tiene la que se merece. El ¿por qué a mi? La pasividad que genera el consumo en las nuevas generaciones para tomar hacer acciones. La palabra y su conflicto con el hacer. El peso del tiempo y las manías de nuestros padres encarnadas en nuestro cuerpo.
Un estudio dramático que pone en la punta de la daga nuestro macho interior para que lo inspeccionemos, evaluemos y hagamos conciencia. ¿Qué ideal de hombre estamos construyendo en el siglo veinte y uno?
Me sentí interpelado por ella. La manera en que la violencia va filtrándose en los poros, pasando sla herencia primero sutil y luego contundentemente, es impecable. La manera en que las microagresiones van justificándose con el vehículo emocional remite a evaluar los "crímenes pasionales" desde otra arista, una en la que no es no. Y dejarse llevar no es consentir.
Un cuestionamiento del autor hacia la hombría y lo que significa "convertirse" en hombre, así como a la reconstrucción de la memoria mediante lo que decimos de lo que hacemos. Las extrañas maneras en que buscamos compensar lo que carecemos mediante el daño al otro. La "exigencia" de amor. El conflicto entre lo que creemos ser y lo que demostramos ser. La imagen de uno mismo que se modifica por las acciones y decisiones que tomamos, y las repercusiones que esas acciones tienen en los otros, porque siempre hay un otro inaprehensible.
La prisión del espacio como metáfora de los sueños no cumplidos. De la falta de seguridad para buscar una vida mejor porque se siente que se tiene la que se merece. El ¿por qué a mi? La pasividad que genera el consumo en las nuevas generaciones para tomar hacer acciones. La palabra y su conflicto con el hacer. El peso del tiempo y las manías de nuestros padres encarnadas en nuestro cuerpo.
Un estudio dramático que pone en la punta de la daga nuestro macho interior para que lo inspeccionemos, evaluemos y hagamos conciencia. ¿Qué ideal de hombre estamos construyendo en el siglo veinte y uno?
June 24, 2021
(As with Jerusalem, we will ignore the fact that I started reading this yonks ago and only got round to finishing the last half tonight. Thank you.)
This play is absolutely fucking brilliant. The plot, the characters, the writing overall - everything is just fantastic. It’s quite a lengthy and intense play but nevertheless, my interest and enjoyment was maintained throughout. Being a massive Doctor Who fan myself, I particularly loved Liam’s obsession with it and the confidence he has in his nerdy-ness (me too Liam, me too). The dynamic between him and Jen is really fascinating, Suze is a character who clearly has more depth to her than reaches the surface, and Rick is unpredictable and terrifying in every way. The play begins and ends fantastically, and overall I hugely enjoyed it! Really bloody brilliant.
This play is absolutely fucking brilliant. The plot, the characters, the writing overall - everything is just fantastic. It’s quite a lengthy and intense play but nevertheless, my interest and enjoyment was maintained throughout. Being a massive Doctor Who fan myself, I particularly loved Liam’s obsession with it and the confidence he has in his nerdy-ness (me too Liam, me too). The dynamic between him and Jen is really fascinating, Suze is a character who clearly has more depth to her than reaches the surface, and Rick is unpredictable and terrifying in every way. The play begins and ends fantastically, and overall I hugely enjoyed it! Really bloody brilliant.
March 12, 2024
Rose to the top of one of my favourite plays, having been allocated a scene from it in acting class.
Blended families are, for the most part, beautiful things. Throw in alcoholism, poverty, and a helping of teenage angst and they can become something entirely different.
Violence and Son gives us an insight into nature vs nurture, what happens when a sensitive child is confronted with a tough world? What mechanisms and behaviors do you have to develop to survive and in the process, what parts of yourself do you give up?
A must-read, if for nothing else than to observe Liam's quick wit and to revisit the kid who lives in all of us and thought we had it all figured out - an ode to all the children out there who are trying to keep themselves safe in whatever they can.
Blended families are, for the most part, beautiful things. Throw in alcoholism, poverty, and a helping of teenage angst and they can become something entirely different.
Violence and Son gives us an insight into nature vs nurture, what happens when a sensitive child is confronted with a tough world? What mechanisms and behaviors do you have to develop to survive and in the process, what parts of yourself do you give up?
A must-read, if for nothing else than to observe Liam's quick wit and to revisit the kid who lives in all of us and thought we had it all figured out - an ode to all the children out there who are trying to keep themselves safe in whatever they can.
February 10, 2023
All I can say is ride it out to the end. Viewing the whole play in retrospect is such a different experience than the immediate experience whilst reading it. In a very good way. The emotional development and structure is unique and appears quite jarring but made me have a completely different response to it than I have to other plays. Definitely worth reading.
February 17, 2024
Violence and Son is not about loud Violence, but about silent violence with a lowercase v. The violence we let slide. The violence we tolerate. The violence we let occupy our everyday existence. And most importantly, it’s about what happens when we let it breed.
Brilliant.
Brilliant.
August 1, 2024
Magnificent! Dark with slowly revealing starker information and with a brilliantly thought out character arc and a gripping ending. Seamless.
September 27, 2024
Oooooft. Didn't expect all of the Doctor Who references. Didn't expect the play to go where it did after all of the Doctor Who references. Feeling a bit Ill. Going to go and have a lie down.
January 10, 2025
Man - a heavy tale of generation trauma and violence that is sadly reflective of society.
August 10, 2024
I feel betrayed and i love it
September 19, 2022
1st reading review: Amazing book, so sad and chocking though, I felt so much pain for Liam and Jen..
2nd reading review: I am giving this play another shot after 6 years and the way I perceive it is very different from the first time. The writing is amazing and I would love to ever have a chance to see it on stage. The character of Rick/Vile is everything that seems wrong in humankind, and you slowly find out how big it gets. The way Liam wants to get away from his abusive father but still sees him as a parental figure he wants advices from is heartbreaking. Note that the play deals with different trigger warnings such as abusive parenthood, addictions, sexual assault and rape.
2nd reading review: I am giving this play another shot after 6 years and the way I perceive it is very different from the first time. The writing is amazing and I would love to ever have a chance to see it on stage. The character of Rick/Vile is everything that seems wrong in humankind, and you slowly find out how big it gets. The way Liam wants to get away from his abusive father but still sees him as a parental figure he wants advices from is heartbreaking. Note that the play deals with different trigger warnings such as abusive parenthood, addictions, sexual assault and rape.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews