Betts: Plays Three: The Optimist; The Swing of Things; The Company Man

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Includes the plays The Optimist, The Swing of Things and The Company Man In this third volume of his collected plays Torben Betts portrays a world of floundering, sub-alpha males and suicidally miserable women, of bullying parents, torturous childhoods and failing relationships, characters all baffled by the most basic question: how do we live good lives and be happy in the modern world Set on Guy Fawke's Night The Optimist (2002) concerns a Government Defence Minister who must face up to the consequences of the choices he has made, both professionally and personally. The Swing of Things (2005) hilariously examines a world where status anxiety and affluenza seem to have corrupted the soul of a whole generation. In The Company Man (2006) a dying woman's last night is marred by the conflict between her accomplished yet emotionally damaged husband and their deeply troubled son.

Author Bio

Torben Betts read English Literature & English Language at the University of Liverpool before training and working as an actor. Works include: The Unconquered, Best New Play 2007 Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland (Tron/Traverse/Arcola/Brits-off-Broadway); A Listening Heaven, nominated for Best New Play at the 2001 TMA Awards (Edinburgh Royal Lyceum); Lie of the Land, nominated for Edinburgh Fringe First Award, 2008 (Edinburgh Pleasance/Arcola); Clockwatching (Orange Tree Theatre); The Company Man (Orange Tree Theatre); The Biggleswades (Southwark Playhouse); Five Visions of the Faithful (Edinburgh Festival); The Lunatic Queen (Riverside Studios); The Error of Their Ways (HERE Arts Center, New York); The Swing of Things (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough). 'just about the most original and extraordinary writer of drama we have...a boldly visionary poet...a political Beckett...a flamingly original writer we ignore at our peril.' Liz Lochhead, National Poet of Scotland 'an uncommonly talented playwright'. Time Out Betts has a profound and highly original theatrical voice.' Daily Telegraph Click here to watch the trailer for Downhill, a new film by Torben Betts www.torbenbetts.com