Bartlett Plays: 1: Not Talking, My Child, Artefacts, Contractions, Cock

Description

This first collection of Mike Bartlett's plays showcases the adroit expertise and flair of a writer known for laser-sharp political comment, tight dialectics and needlingly real characters. My Child is a gut-wrenching exploration of the lengths a father will go to to have access to his child. The play creates a violent world where good intentions count for very little, and offers an incisive, honest look at what it means to be a good parent. Contractions is an ink-black comedy about work and play: Emma's been seeing Darren. She thinks she's in love. Her boss thinks she's in breach of contract. The situation needs to be resolved. Artefacts depicts a father-daughter reunion which, after 16 years, crosses between the world of a British teenager and an Iraqi expert in antiquity, and is complicated by the ambivalent gift of a precious Mespotamian vase. Cock is a punchy play which takes a playful, candid look at one man's sexuality and the difficulties that arise when you realise you have a choice.

Hailed by Stage as 'one of the most exciting new talents to emerge in recent times', Mike has worked with various theatres since graduating including Paines Plough, the Royal Court, Soho and Hampstead. He is a winner of the Old Vic New Voices Award and is currently participating in the prestigious Pearson Playwrights Scheme. His plays include Cock (Royal Court), Artefacts (Bush Theatre) and Earthquakes in London (Headlong/National Theatre).