Sean, just out of prison, invites Lisa back to his flat for a drink. Lisa says she’s Norwegian. Is Sean Norwegian too. In this dark, funny encounter two outsiders reach out to each other across the deep fjords of the heart.
“In Norway we’re used to darkness in people’s heads. We even prefer it. Because if there is no darkness then what in heaven’s name are you thinking about? We Norwegians think people who are happy are perhaps just a little above themselves, don’t you?”
Paines Plough’s late night writing salon, LATER, has gone East.
We’ve invited three Pakistani playwrights to give us their unique view of contemporary life. The result is a surprising and unsettling kaleidoscope of urgent new work inspired by contemporary events:
ABDULLAH by Salman Sahid is a potent and comic exploration of the delicate balance between the wealthy and their servants in a changing political and religious landscape.
FREEDOM PASS by Anita Mir is an explosive and sensitive play about race, identity and the BNP.
GLAD TIDINGS by Bilal Hasan Minto is a taut and heartbreaking vision of one woman’s desperate bid to escape.
This year a new array of brilliant playwrights bring their work to the LATER stage. Join us and be the first to see new work at its inception.
Monday 12 February
A rehearsed reading of PORNOGRAPHY by Simon Stephens, directed by Matthew Dunster
Monday 12 March Curated by Che Walker
Award winning playwright Ché Walker takes to the stage, bringing some of the UK’s most exciting young talent with him, including Zawe Ashton, Bola Agbaje, Nirjay Mahindru Neil D’Souza, Lizzie McCallum, Chris Preddie and Ché himself, reading excerpts from their latest work
Monday 19 March Curated by Jess Walters
An evening of work hand-picked by playwright Jess Walters, featuring work from Tameka Empson, Emma Frost, Terry Johnson and Jess herself
Monday 16 April Curated by Tom Morton-Smith
Paines Plough’s new writer-in-residence, Tom brings to the stage his pick of emerging writers, featuring; In-sook Chappell, Joel Horwood, James Graham, Ali Taylor, John Terry and Tom himself.
Monday 23 April Curated by David Eldridge
Gathering playwrights writing from and about Romford, this LATER sees new work brought to the stage by; James Martin Charlton, Pauline Hannah, David Hill, Ben Musgrave and David himself
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Monday 10 September Curated by Duncan Macmillan
Featuring new work by Bola Agbaje, Robin French, Nick Gill, Chloe Moss, Phil Porter, Amy Rosenthal and Duncan himself
Monday 17 September Curated by Leo Butler
Featuring new work by Elinor Cook, Elise Hearst, Ben Ockrent, Polly Stenham and Alexandra Wood
Monday 8 October
‘Murder at Gobbler’s Wood’ by Robin French, Dennis Kelly and Enda Walsh
Monday 15 October FUTURE PEFECT 3
Featuring new work from Paines Plough’s writers group FUTURE PERFECT, including Lydia Adetunji, Steve Hevey, Dominic Mitchell, Laura Neal, Nick Payne, Ali Muriel, Michael McLean
Monday 5 November Curated by Levi David Addai
Featuring new work from David Watson, Joel Horwood, Daniel Taylor, Tyrone James, Nathan Clough, Bola Agbaje and Levi himself.
Monday 12 November Curated by Laura Wade
Featuring new work from Moira Buffini, Patrick Marber, Alexandra Wood and Laura herself.
“It’s brass band music. The brass band is jolly. Like when Ground Force have finished their first day and Alan, Tommy and Charley are off to the pub for a feed of pints.
It’s Summery music and the vision we open on is clouds. Summer clouds but with a hint of grey. A hint of grey suggesting the horribleness that is about to unfold in this idyllic environment…”
It’s five days until Caulston’s annual cake fete when a body is found in Gobbler’s Wood. With the village caught in a baking frenzy, the Detective Inspector and his trusty side-kick must work alone to uncover the murderer before they strike again…
Amidst the rolling fields and warm sun of this year’s LATITUDE Festival, Paines Plough draws open the curtains on a disturbing and hilariously dark plot co-written by three of the UK’s most exciting playwrights.
Every day of the Festival, Mark Ravenhill will write a new short minute play that offers a succinct glimpse at modern life. Taking their titles from the grand novels and movies of the past, each play asks the question: is the epic experience possible in our increasingly insular lives?
The plays will be performed the following day over breakfast in Traverse Two. Play readings feature a new team every day taken from the pick of acting and directing talent at the Edinburgh Festivals.
“I reckon this is the worst way to die. Get a kid, just a little kid, tell them they’re going to die, wait till they¹re old enough to understand it then tell them, let it sink in, then give them sixty or seventy years to think about it and watch it coming.”
“Yeah you¹re right. That¹s the worst. We’re not going to go like that are we?”
“We’re not living like that.”
Grizzly, Dog and Gnome live to climb mountains. They’re good at it. They’re not looking for death. They love what they do and they do it to the limit. But they’re climbing up to places where death is only one mistake away.
The prestigious partnership of Paines Plough and the Drum Theatre Plymouth returns to present Rona Munro’s thrilling story of friendship, adventure and chasing ghosts.
“He looks at me for just that fraction too long and when he drills those eyes on to me I sprout fangs and a scream builds in my ribcage but still no sound.”
Billie is in love with worst possible man in the world. Cordelia knows it. Shiv knows it. But Billie won’t listen because love feels so good. An urban love story
A selection of plays from Ravenhill’s epic cycle exploring the personal and political effect of war on modern life. The full cycle was presented throughout London in April 2008 in collaboration with The National Theatre, Royal Court, Out of Joint, The Gate and BBC Radio 3.
A programme of six evenings all curated by Duncan Macmillan, Paines Plough’s Pearson Writer in Residence.
Monday 13 October NEW SHORTS
A mixture of new work by Gary Owen, James Graham, Effie Woods, Tim Price, and Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, Jonathan Donahoe and Danny Benoliel.
Wednesday 15 October FEAR AND MISERY IN THE THIRD TERM
A brand-new play commissioned by Dan Rebellato and written by Mike Bartlett, Chloe Moss, Ben Musgrave, Dan Rebellato and Duncan Macmillan.
Friday 17 October Directors’ Perform
Brave theatre directors step into the spotlight to ‘perform’ pieces written specially for them by playwrights Zawe Ashton, & Chloe Moss , Duncan Macmillan & Alan Harris
Monday 20 October IF THINGS WERE DIFFERENT…
A collaboration between Olivier award-winning writer Bola Agbaje and comedians Eddie Kadi and Jamie Howard, as well as new work by Francis Addio, Zawe Ashton Nathan Clough, Lizzy Dijeh, and Titas Halder,
Wednesday 22 October Cabaret LATER
Playwrights and cabaret performers collaborate on new pieces. Including playwrights Zawe Ashton, Stella Feehily, Nick Gill, Phil Porter and cabaret artistes Bourgeois & Maurice, Dusty Limits, Scottee and Carissa Hope Lynch. Compèred by Georgeois Bourgeois.
Friday 24 October Roy Williams’ LATER
Award-winning Roy Williams presents REUNION and SHIFTING SANDS, two new works in progress.
After 40 years of building a home in London, Agnes is retiring and moving back to Ghana. Her final wish is for her sons to live together under the same roof when she is gone. But her eldest, Sol, is living with a girlfriend Agnes loathes and he won’t move home until Agnes accepts her. Whilst younger brother Caleb will do whatever it takes to inherit the house – except share it with Sol. As her departure draws closer, tensions at Agnes’ rise to breaking point. Will she trust her 21st century boys and finally allow them to be men? Who will own the House of Agnes? This new play is a tender, astute and humorous portrait of clashing traditional and cultural values in modern family life.