Bones

Description

In 2014 local historian Catherine Corless made a discovery of baby bones and skeletons in the grounds of a mother and baby home in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland. Built on the grounds of an old workhouse that operated between 1921 and 1961 the discovery threw up questions about the goings-on across this and similar institutions across Ireland. Tanika Gupta's powerful drama is loosely based on these recent and historical events, drawing inspiration from Corless' discovery. Told through the eyes of Grace and her grandchildren, Bones is a play about loss, punishment of unmarried mothers and the legacy of the demonisation of women by Church and State, where the human and reproductive rights of women are undermined. Bones premiered at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2019. Bones is published in Methuen Drama's Plays For Young People Age 16+ series which offers suitable plays for young performers at schools, youth groups and youth theatres that have each had premiere productions by young performers in the UK.

Tanika Gupta has written over 25 stage plays that have been produced in major theatres across the UK and has written extensively for BBC Radio drama. Some of her theatre credits include: A Doll's House (Lyric Hammersmith) Red Dust Road - adaptation of Jackie Kay's memoir (NT Scotland) ; Bones (Central School for Speech and Drama) Hobson's Choice (Manchester Royal Exchange); Lions And Tigers (Globe Theatre. Winner of the James Tait Black Prize for Drama 2018); A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (Hull Truck Theatre); Anita and Me (Birmingham Rep); Love N Stuff (Theatre Royal Stratford East); The Empress (Royal Shakespeare Company); Wah! Wah! Girls - A British Bollywood Musical (Sadler's Wells).

A deeply moving text with a sombre focus, suitable for mature students. * Drama & Theatre * Beautifully written, exceptionally truthful and fascinating to read. With the right cohort, this script is a drama teacher's dream. * National Drama *