The plays discussed in this session feature characters that live on the periphery of society. They are set in care homes, children’s homes, mental health hospitals and prisons, where residents are excluded and disenfranchised from their communities. As the characters confront and examine their relationship with the outside, the role of the wider society, and the ways in which they treat those who are powerless and voiceless are questioned. With guest speaker Patricia Cumper, playwright, producer and director.
Plays covered:
Something Dark by Lemn Sissay
24% by Paulette Randall
The Key Game by Patricia Cumper
Island Life by Jenny McLeod.
National Theatre’s Black Plays Archive
Most of the plays covered in this series can be found in the Black Plays Archive. This is an online catalogue of the first professional production of every African, Caribbean, and Black British play produced in the UK. In addition to the catalogue there are a number of contextual resources, including audio recordings of play extracts, essays and video interviews.
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