Iphigenia in Splott

Description

'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. Winner of Best New Play at the UK Theatre Awards 2015

Welsh playwright Gary Owen is a past winner of the Meyer Whitworth, George Devine and Pearson best play awards. In June 2015 he made his Royal Court debut with Violence and Son. His other plays include Love Steals Us from Loneliness, Crazy Gary's Mobile Disco, The Shadow of a Boy, The Drowned World (winner Fringe first), Ghost City, Cancer Time, SK8, Big Hopes, In the Pipeline, Blackthorn, Mary Twice, Amgen, Broken, Bulletproof, The Ugly Truth and Free Folk. His adaptations include Spring Awakening and Ring, Ring, a new version of La Ronde for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Dicken's A Christmas Carol for Sherman Cymru. 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.

A furious piece; a tirade against welfare cuts piling up on the poor... Because Owen's writing about the unexpected turns that take one's life, there's no guessing where his play's going. His plot swerves like a getaway car. Just when you think you're watching one kind of play, it becomes another... Crushing. * What's On Stage * Three key factors are responsible for making Iphigenia in Splott what I think is an extraordinary play. The first is Owen's excellent script - razor-sharp, witty and full of emotion, it's the work of a writer who has his pulse firmly on the mood of the world around him. * The Public Reviews * Tense and moving... it shakes you violently and then pummels your heart. * Telegraph * 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. -- Andrew Haydon * The Guardian * Strength and power was one of the hallmarks of Gary Owen's writing right from the start with his early play Crazy Gary's Mobile Disco. Strength and power and great story telling are here again in his latest work...It's no wonder that the demand for tickets to see the show has resulted in an extended run. * Theatre in Wales *