AS Unit 1 WJEC : Theatre Workshop (additional texts from September 2021)

 

A Good Clean Heart Alun Saunders
A bilingual play that’s a coming of age story about two brothers raised apart in West Wales and South London, in different families, speaking different languages. The rollercoaster story of Hefin and Jay, where things to from brilliant to horrific in a heartbeat. A humorous, moving play and truly accessible for Welsh and non-Welsh speakers alike.

 

Broken Biscuits Tom Wells
A coming of age story about three friends as they prepare to leave school. It looks at issues of growing up and relationships and how these change as they get older. It also looks at issues of identity and sexuality. It was first performed at the Live Theatre, Newcastle in 2016.

Christmas is Miles Away Chloë Moss / Pryd Mae’r Haf? Gwawr Loader
First performed at The Studio, Royal Exchange Manchester, it’s a touching story about adolescent friendship. Luke and Christie are typical sixteen-year-old lads from Manchester. They like camping out, drinking lager and talking about girls. But when they leave school and their lives go in different directions, will they still have things in common? The Welsh translation has recently been performed by Criw Brwd and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru.

Eight Ella Hickson
The playwright’s first play. A series of eight 15-minute monologues looking at what has happened to a generation that have grown up in a world where everything has become acceptable. The play was formed around the results of a survey that asked twenty-somethings what defined their generation; Hickson tried to answer their almost unanimous response of ‘apathy’, with a show that works to find the glimmers of faith amidst wholesale cynicism.

Emilia Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
A play that looks at the life of Emilia Bassanio the 17th century poet. It is a riotous exploration of the role of creative women in society and the way in which they fought for their voices to be heard. It received its acclaimed premiere at Shakespeare’s Globe in 2018. It won three Olivier Awards, including Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Dan Gillespie and Tom MacRae
Inspired by a true story, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is the award-winning hit musical for today. Modern, contemporary, and relevant. Supported by his mother and his best friend, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies, and steps out of the darkness into the spotlight. Championing diversity and pride in who you are, this is both a popular and poignant text for young people.

Hang Debbie Tucker Green
A powerful play exploring a woman’s dilemma in making an unspeakable decision. It explores the clash between the character of the woman and the system in an un‐named country. A look at the knife-edge between justice and vengeance, where the victim has the chance to determine her perpetrator’s fate.

Heritage Dafydd James
The play was commissioned as part of the 2014 National Theatre Connections programme. It is May Day in the village of Northbridge, and a group of children gathers in an electrified cage. Ostensibly they are there to rehearse their performance of the village anthem while, out of sight, the adults participate in the traditional, if dubious-sounding, May Day festivities (the 'Dance of the Horned Goat'). It gradually becomes clear, however, that this group of misfits has been corralled for very different reasons.

 

Killology Gary Owen
A controversial new gaming experience is inspiring a generation. In Killology, players are rewarded for torturing victims, scoring points for “creativity”. But Killology isn’t sick. In fact, it’s marketed by its millionaire creator as a deeply moral experience. Because yes, you can live out your darkest fantasies, but you don’t escape their consequences. Out on the streets, not everybody agrees with him.

Lysh Aled Jones Williams
A psychological play that deals with the effects of alcoholism and how past experiences affect the present. A series of monologues which are intertwined by the character of the Psychologist who tries to help the characters face the reality of their situation.
 

Moon on a Rainbow Shawl Errol John
The play is set in a community in Trinidad after the second world war. It explores the politics of sport and sexuality and how all the characters dream of escape. It is regarded as an important text exploring new themes and characters and was described as ‘a breakthrough in Britain for black-writing’.

Nine Night Natasha Gordon
A humorous play looking at the rituals at a Jamaican nine‐night wake. The play explores family and the links between generations. It is full of life and is a celebration of a life. It was premiered at the National Theatre in 2018.

The Barber Shop Chronicles Inua Ellams
Four generations of African men have gathered in barber shops to discuss the world. These are place where the banter can be barbed, and the truth is always telling. A heart-warming, hilarious and insightful new play that leaps from a Peckham to Johannesburg, Harare, Kampala, Lagos and Accra over the course of a single day.

The Mountaintop Katori Hall
The play is set on the eve of Martin Luther King’s assassination, as he prepares in his motel room, to make his mountain-top speech. Winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Play 2009, it is a historical-fantastical two hander. The play is heart-breaking, humorous, and breathtakingly powerful. It remains a relevant today, exploring being human in the face of inevitable death.

Tituba Winsome Pinnock A re‐telling of the Salem witch trials from the point of Tituba Indian, the enslaved servant. It explores racism, prejudice, and fear. The monologue also explores attitudes to religion and conformity. The play is taken from Women Centre Stage; a collection of eight short plays, that together demonstrate the range, depth, and richness of women’s writing for the stage.