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This Child (Cet Enfant)
written by Joel Pommerat
translated by Nigel Gearing
directed by John Retallack and Ellen Hughes
Partners: in association with The Junction, Cambridge and Pilot Theatre
Dates: November 10 - 13, 2008
Venue: Southwark Playhouse
“By British standards, this is astonishingly grown-up and hard-hitting theatre for young people. British theatre companies for children and young people should observe and take note." (The Guardian on This Child)
This Child is one of the most talked-about plays in France in recent years. It is an exploration of the feelings, from the noblest to the most shameful, that bind parents and children together. The play, remarkable in its intensity, stages various family confrontations that show all the complexity of the family bond, in clear and transparent language. Each of the eleven scenes is like a short play in itself and they can be viewed in any order.
This child will give me strength
I’m going to show them just who I am
I’m going to show them that I’m not who they think I am
A major critical success in the original French, This Child won the Critics Association Award for Best Play in 2006.
John Retallack’s staged reading at Theatre Café Europe 2007 (with a cast of 7 adults and 5 teenagers) aroused considerable comment and debate. As a result the play is being staged in 3 different communities – in York, in Southwark and in Cambridge with 3 different casts and directors involved. This Child is a unique work of drama for all ages from 12 +.
This Child was performed in a unique ‘shuffle’ staging (mixing actors from all three casts) on Thu 13 Nov. The production is part of Theatre Cafe Festival 2008.
www.companyofangels.co.uk www.pilot-theatre.com www.junction.co.uk
Now published as part of Theatre Cafe - Plays 1 by Oberon. Available in all good bookshops or directly from www.oberonbooks.com (ISBN: 978-1-84002-893-5).
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