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Children of Darkness
Drama / 9m, 1f / Int. A splendidly raffish gallery of rogues inhabit Newgate Prison in the London of 1725. Besides the conniving jailkeeper, there are his daughter, who favors the prisoners according to their money, a titled scoundrel, a poet, a whining condemned man, and a family prisoner dressed in exquisite lace. There is savage humor in their strategems, and the whole makes a shocking picture of historical justice. "A distinguished and beautifully written play ... Rare qualities of style, grace, wit and sardonic humor." - N. Y. Post
96 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2010
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June 19, 2025
Great dialogue and characters. Wonderfully literate and funny and fun. How could a play set in a London jail with a tiny cast (the jailer and his beautiful daughter and 5-6 prisoners) be so captivating and interesting and jaded and wise? This is one of a handful of modern (20th c) plays on Bloom's western canon and I think it is a fabulous choice. This is the first review on GoodReads of this work and I fear it has slipped into the crevices of literary history, sadly. I have never heard of it being performed and would dearly love to see it on the stage.
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