Simon Gray Book order

Set in the enigmatic Yellow Orang-Utan Industries, the story unfolds as the beloved, computer-generated president, Piano Smedley, is found dead, leading to chaos within the corporation. Gertrude, the real president's assistant, grapples with her unexpected grief for a fictional figure while trying to manage the fallout. As the board steps in and a new fake president is introduced, interest in the company wanes. Amidst the turmoil, Gertrude befriends Wellington, a prototype android with uncanny stock market insights, complicating the already precarious situation.

The author of the celebrated and widely-acclaimed The Smoking Diaries, returns to print, with a tender, affecting, and of course funny account of his friendship with Alan Bates, written as he waits in Barbados for Harold Pinter to turn up.

This play features a university lecturer, Ben Butley, who shares his office and his flat with a former star pupil, Joey, now also a teacher. On the day the play takes place, Butley faces both the ultimate breakdown of his marriage and the intensity of his friendship with Joey.