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Original poster

Reading plays

34 replies

Lightyearspast · 26/07/2020 16:53

In my pre-Covid life I used to go to the theatre once or twice a month and, if I enjoyed the play, I'd buy the script to read afterwards. I've never (well, not since school) read a play that I haven't seen performed first, but I miss going to the theatre and am thinking of reading a few now. My favourite plays tend to have serious political/social issue themes, my least favourite are romantic comedies. Can anyone recommend some that I might enjoy and that don't need to be seen on stage first?

OP posts:
highlandcoo · 26/07/2020 23:14

I'm wondering if I should read some older plays too

Yes, definitely! Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire
are good Tennessee Williams ones to start with.

Arthur MIller's plays are also classics. The Crucible, All My Sons, Death of a Salesman and A View From the Bridge probably the best known.

And Terence Rattigan The Winslow Boy and Flare Path are also worth a look.

PerditaProvokesEnmity · 26/07/2020 19:51

Sorry, OP - missed your question. Play scripts, like books, are wondrously portable across time and geography (even before we were being force-fed via lockdown YouTube etc).

It's well worth spreading your reading as widely as possible - and making use of any languages you may have. Maybe pick a continent or country and spend a while getting to know its playwrights?

PerditaProvokesEnmity · 26/07/2020 19:39

Few more random things:

Lorraine Hansberry - Les Blancs

Richard Greenberg - The Dazzle (saw this with Andrew Scott as one of the brothers at a tiny, tiny venue. Glorious.)

Patrick Hamilton - Gaslight

David Greig - Dunsinane (Impossible to put into words how outstandingly brilliant this is.)

Alistair McDowall - Brilliant Adventures

No rhyme or reason to these - just what jumps out first from the shelves.

Original poster
Lightyearspast · 26/07/2020 19:19

Thanks highlandcoo. I like the sound of both of these.

I'm wondering if I should read some older plays too. I only started going to the theatre about 5 or 6 years ago and have mostly seen new plays. I've been watching the NT@Home plays and am embarrassed to say I had only vaguely heard of Tennessee Williams. Do all you regular theatre goers have a good knowledge of classics from previous decades?

OP posts:
highlandcoo · 26/07/2020 18:59

Oh, and also Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth although Mark Rylance's extraordinary performance must have added a lot to the script.

Original poster
Lightyearspast · 26/07/2020 18:57

Thanks Perdita. I've seen two of these (Father Comes Home from the Wars and Cyprus Avenue), but the others sound interesting - will definitely read a couple of these.

Labyrinthloafer - hope you find something here too.

OP posts:
highlandcoo · 26/07/2020 18:56

I enjoyed I'm Not Running by David Hare

and Elling by Simon Bent

PerditaProvokesEnmity · 26/07/2020 17:55

Okay.Grin

Sarah Kane - Blasted (if you haven't already read).

Caryl Churchill - Far Away

Suzan-Lori Parks - Father Comes Home From the Wars

Dead Centre - Hamnet

David Ireland - Cyprus Avenue

Jasmine Lee-Jones - Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner

(Six off the top of my head, I haven't seen or read the last one, but it seems to have been well received.)

labyrinthloafer · 26/07/2020 17:33

I have not read a play since school but I am really missing the theatre so if it's ok I am going to lurk in your thread to see what suggestions come up.

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