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Caryl Churchill

    September 3, 1938

    Caryl Churchill is an acclaimed English dramatist celebrated for her non-naturalistic techniques and potent feminist themes. Her work consistently examines the abuses of power and explores complex sexual politics, establishing her as a significant voice in contemporary theatre. Initially, she adapted Bertolt Brecht's epic theatre techniques to dissect issues of gender and sexuality. Later, she evolved towards experimental dance-theatre and increasingly fragmented, surreal narratives, marking her as a distinctive postmodernist playwright. Churchill's innovative approach to dramatic form and her profound thematic depth solidify her influence on world theatre.

    Caryl Churchill
    A Number
    Plays: 2
    Churchill Plays: 1
    What If If Only (NHB Modern Plays)
    Caryl Churchill Plays: Five
    Caryl Churchill Plays 4
    • 2021

      What If If Only (NHB Modern Plays)

      • 48 pages
      • 2 hours of reading
      3.9(26)Add rating

      A new short play from Caryl Churchill. What If If Only premiered in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in September 2021.

      What If If Only (NHB Modern Plays)
    • 2020

      The narrative addresses the deep-seated anger and resentment stemming from historical injustices, including slavery and mass violence. It highlights a struggle against perceived moral impositions, particularly regarding LGBTQ+ acceptance, reflecting a broader theme of resistance against external influences and cultural conflicts. The intense emotions conveyed suggest a powerful exploration of identity, heritage, and the fight for autonomy in the face of societal pressures.

      Pigs and Dogs
    • 2020

      Aging and death are explored through three distinct sections in this play. The first part features friends at a funeral, engaging in a detached conversation about their deceased companion. The second section presents a poignant monologue reflecting on the afterlife. Finally, the third part depicts an intimate moment between a dying man and his caring caregiver as he is dressed and undressed, highlighting themes of love and vulnerability in the face of mortality.

      Here We Go
    • 2020

      The story unfolds as the protagonist encounters an open door in a fence, leading to a mysterious space inhabited by three familiar women. This intriguing premise hints at themes of connection and the unexpected intersections of lives, inviting readers to explore the relationships and secrets that may lie behind the door. The narrative promises a blend of curiosity and discovery as the protagonist navigates this unexpected encounter.

      Escaped Alone
    • 2008

      Caryl Churchill Plays 4

      • 309 pages
      • 11 hours of reading
      4.1(52)Add rating

      Spanning a whole decade and embracing a huge range of style and subject matter, this fourth volume of collected plays confirms the author's standing as the best English language female playwright. It also includes an introduction by Churchill, who rarely writes about her work and refuses to give interviews.

      Caryl Churchill Plays 4
    • 2003

      A Number

      • 62 pages
      • 3 hours of reading
      3.8(1016)Add rating

      Caryl Churchill, hailed by Tony Kushner as "the greatest living English language playwright," has turned her extraordinary dramatic gifts to the subject of human cloning—how might a man feel to discover that he is only one in a number of identical copies. And which one of him is the original. . . ?“Churchill’s harrowing bioethics fable leaves us with a number of things to chew on.” –Kris Vire, Time Out Chicago“ A Number confirms Churchill’s status as the first dramatist of the 21st century. On the face of it, it is human cloning… Like all Churchill’s best plays, A Number deals with both the essentials and the extremities of human experience… The questions this brilliant, harrowing play asks are almost unanswerable, which is why they must be asked.” – Sunday Times“Caryl Churchill’s magnificent new play only last an hour but contains more drama, and more ideas, than most writers manage in a dozen full-length works.” – Daily TelegraphCaryl Churchill has written for the stage, television and radio. A renowned and prolific playwright, her plays include Cloud Nine, Top Girls, Far Away, Drunk Enough to Say I Love You?, Bliss, Love and Information, Mad Forest and A Number . In 2002, she received the Obie Lifetime Achievement Award and 2010, she was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

      A Number
    • 2002

      Serious Money

      • 112 pages
      • 4 hours of reading
      3.0(174)Add rating

      Serious Money is perhaps Caryl Churchill's most provocative play. It is a satirical study of the effects of the "Big Bang" boom of financial markets in the 1980s and how it gave rise to hectic, chaotic, high velocity work where human values are compromised for success and wealth.The dialogue of the play is largely overlapping with the ingenious rhyming couplets and singsong verse. It is so stylized that Churchill even includes a rhymed soliloquy and a rap number. Language in the play is coarse, there being a particular emphasis on scatological humour, and the tone is overwhelmingly angry. Churchill's characters are drawn razor sharp cartoonishly. The play's plot revolves around financial wheeler-dealers that were born into the boom and want to maximize profits above all else. The tone is contemporary, edgy, witty and has been viewed by some as massively offensive: it is a perfect example of one of Churchill's most hard-hitting works.This Student Edition contains a chronology of the playwright's life and work; an introduction giving the background to the play, a discussion of the various interpretations and notes on individual words and phrases in the text.

      Serious Money
    • 1991

      Top girls

      • 176 pages
      • 7 hours of reading
      3.6(8768)Add rating

      Marlene hosts a dinner party to celebrate her promotion to Managing Director of Top Girls Employment Agency. Her five guests are women from the past

      Top girls