Tom Morton-Smith Plays 1: In Doggerland, Oppenheimer, The Earthworks, Ravens

(Paperback)

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Tom Morton-Smith is an Olivier Award-winning playwright whose works for the stage span intimate theatrical biopics to scientific explorations and broad epics. In this, his first play collection, his major stage works are brought together for the first time in a definitive edition showcasing his extensive range as a dramatist, and introduced by the author himself. In Doggerland: Morton-Smiths script is both poetic and philosophical, a thoughtful meditation on the impact of loss . . . a touching and funny play that explores the lives of four people brought together by tragedy and hope." (WhatsonStage) Oppenheimer: A blast from start to finish . . . Tom Morton-Smiths epic new play . . . ambitious in the very best way . . . it really delivers its payload in its final phase, as Oppenheimer finally rejects his humanity in favour of doing something truly inhuman to the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." (Time Out) The Earthworks: "This small, often funny play focusing on two fragile people rubbing up against each other at a moment of change has its own quiet heroism. What appears to be a romantic comedy turns into something more unsettling ... raising questions about the limits of knowledge and our capacity to face up to the future." (Guardian) Ravens: "An elegant study of pressure and paranoia . . . Recounting the gruelling, 21-game clash, Ravens: Spassky vs Fischer is a taut and cerebral character study." (The Stage)

Author Bio

Tom Morton-Smith is a British playwright and screenwriter. His sell-out adaptation of Studio Ghiblis classic animation, My Neighbour Totoro, opened at the Barbican in October 2022 and returned in November 2023. Presented by executive producer Joe Hisaishi, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Improbable and Nippon TV. With puppets built by Jim Hensons Creature Shop. The show broke box office records, becoming the fastest selling show in the Barbicans history, and opened to critical acclaim. His 2015 play, Oppenheimer, charts the life of J Robert Oppenheimer and the development of the atomic bomb. Written for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Oppenheimer opened at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, before transferring to the Vaudeville Theatre in Londons West End. Ravens, a Cold War thriller set during the 1972 World Chess Championship, opened at the Hampstead Theatre in November 2019. The Earthworks appeared at The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, in May and June 2017. It appeared as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Mischief Festival and was directed by the RSC's Deputy Artistic Director, Erica Whyman. His debut play, Salt Meets Wound, opened at Theatre503 in May 2007. Everyday Maps for Everyday Use was staged at the Finborough Theatre as part of the PapaTango New Writing Festival 2012.