Upfront Theatre: Why Is John Lennon Wearing A Skirt; Arsehammers; The Year of the Monkey; Hard Working Families

(Paperback)

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An anthology bringing together a selection of Claire Dowie's plays for young people, which are ideal for performance with a large cast. The anthology includes the following plays and an introduction by the author. Why Is John Lennon Wearing A Skirt (Stage2 version, large cast) portrays a 14-year-old girl who dresses like a boy and would rather play football than anything else. This version can be performed by a cast of up to 100. Arsehammers (Stage2 version, large cast) is about a boys relationship with his grandfather, who is suffering from Alzheimers (or "Arsehammers", as the boy hears it). He believes his grandad to have superpowers on account of his routine disappearances. A brilliant tale of living with, and understanding, mental illness. It has been reimagined for a cast of around 20. The Year of the Monkey (Stage2 version, large cast) shows a mother dreaming of injecting some excitement into her humdrum life. The play has been revised the play for around 25 young people. Hard Working Families (original version, large cast), which hasn't previously been published, is a satirical play with music that exposes the true impact that earning a living has on young people in modern-day society. It is a response to politicians' visions of 'ordinary people', set against the reality of earning a living and the way this impacts on young people's lives. It can be performed by a cast of up to 50.

Reviews

Claire Dowie is the supreme advocate of rebellion. She debunks conformity or almost anything which can be defined * Stage *
Dowie makes you laugh as she kicks you in the teeth * Guardian *
The female counterpart to Quentin Crisp * Evening Standard *
This collection of four plays, three of which debuted as stand-up pieces, is an attempt to involve a flexible cast of teen actors in a low-stress form of theatre. With the overriding theme of personal choice vs. societal norms, the pieces use familiar issuesexpectations of males vs. females, the challenges caused by Alzheimers disease, emotional repression, political posturingpresented in contemporary situations to highlight how our lives are often controlled by mores that we dont choose. The concept of creating large-cast plays for actors with minimal stage experience works well for school/community theatres, and the idea of using groups of actors to form composite characters allows for even neophyte participation As in-class or end-of-term drama presentations, the plays will do well, hopefully inspiring middle/high school students to try their hand at writing similar pieces with personally relevant themes. * School Library Journal *

Author Bio

Claire Dowie is a writer, performer, poet, comedian and pioneer of Stand-Up Theatre, often associated with the In-Yer-Face approach to theatre-making. After starting out on the alternative comedy circuit, she switched to stand-up comedy and writing plays. Her first major work, Adult Child/Dead Child, won a Time Out Award in 1988. Other works include Why is John Lennon Wearing a Skirt, Easy Access (For the Boys), All Over Lovely, Cat and Mouse, Death and Dancing and The Year of the Monkey. She works extensively with young people.