Gary Owen - (Oberon Modern Playwrights) (Paperback)

About the Book

A collection of six plays and a new monologue from the multi-award winning playwright.

Book Synopsis

The new collection of plays from multi-award-winning playwright Gary Owen. Includes the plays: Violence and Son, Iphigenia in Splott, Blackthorn, In the Pipeline, Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian, Love Steals Us From Loneliness and Mum & Dad

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.

Iphigenia in Splott: What gets me through is knowing I took this pain, and saved all of you from suffering the same.' Stumbling down Clifton Street at 11:30 a.m. drunk, Effie is the kind of girl you'd avoid eye contact with, silently passing judgement. We think we know her, but we don't know the half of it. Effie's life spirals through a mess of drink, drugs and drama every night, and a hangover worse than death the next day - till one night gives her the chance to be something more. This powerful new adaptation of the enduring Greek myth drives home the high price people pay for society's shortcomings.

Blackthorn: Kate and Tom with their troubled daughter Evie decide to leave the London rat race and start afresh in the peace of the countryside. They buy a farmhouse in Wales... Watch the drama unfold. Blackthorn is a darkly comic new play by Gary Owen about the clash between the newcomers with their expectations and the way of life a Welsh farmer holds dear . . .

In the Pipeline: A massive liquid gas line tears through the countryside of west Wales. Gary Owen opens the doors to three of the residents in the port of Milford Haven, Andrew, Dai and Joan, who are caught in the path of this terrifying phenomenon.

Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian: Friendships grow in the most unlikely of places. Mrs Reynolds is a little old lady. Jay is a troubled youth. When he vandalises her lovingly tended garden, the authorities send him back to help her fix it. It seems a recipe for disaster - but human beings are more complex than the headlines.

Love Steals us from Loneliness: A play about the stupid things you do when you're f*cked. A night out. Friends, alcohol, a shit club, a strop - the usual. But tonight is different. Tonight will change things forever. Gary Owen, one of Wales's foremost playwrights, returns to his hometown of Bridgend. The media have told us their Bridgend story, but what will a writer who spent his own teenage years here have to say?

Review Quotes

"Resurgent Welsh playwright Gary Owen has a knack for getting inside the heads of troubled teens...Now he excels himself...the finesse of Owen's writing ably ranges from the local to the universal...Every teenager - and every recovering ex-teenager - should see this.'" --Telegraph (Violence and Son)

"The most shattering, angry call for immediate revolt that you will see on stage this year... By any measure going, this is perfect theatre: intelligent, moving, and horribly, horribly relevant. Most of all, though, in those final moments, it feels like the start of a revolution.'" --Guardian (Iphigenia in Splott)

"One of Wales' foremost playwrights'" --BBC Wales

"Gary Owen's clever, enjoyable play...that may not have the grittiness of some new writing but has something more valuable: a big heart and the ability to confront its audience's prejudices while thoroughly entertaining them.'" --The Guardian (Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian)

About the Author

Gary Owen is the winner of the Meyer Whitworth, George Devine and Pearson best play awards. 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. His plays have also won the Pearson Best Play Award and a Fringe First at Edinburgh. Gary also co-created two seasons Baker Boys, an original series for BBC Wales.