This Volume assembles the three winning plays of The Bread & Roses Playwriting Award 2019 (which all premiered at the theatre between 2019 and 2022), making them available in printed format to an even wider audience for the very first time.
- Hungerland by Rachel O'Regan
Nicole is preparing the perfect Christmas dinner for her perfect boyfriend in her perfect house. Nothing could ruin her evening - except the arrival of her estranged sister Alice. All Alice wants is a relationship, but all Nicole wants is for her to eat... Darkly funny and discomforting, Rachel O'Regan's debut play is about food, falling down the rabbit hole, and what we inherit from our families.
****½ (4.5 stars) - "Hungerland is an honest and guttural story of loss and trauma, reflected in the lives of twin sisters." - within her words
- I and the Village by Darren Donohue
Living in limbo at an isolated Direct Provision Centre, Keicha and Jeta await decisions on their status to remain in Ireland. Sharing a room, their memories and fantasies seep into the dank walls merging into one story. When eighteen-year-old Hannah joins them she must fight to maintain her sense of identity or risk getting swept up in their reality. Limited in what he can do, kind hearted Carl, battles with his morals and his position as Centre Manager.
***** (5 stars) - "I and the Village is meaningful storytelling at its best" - Ask The Ushers
- Who You Are and What You Do by Hugh Dichmont
Are we defined by our actions, or the lessons we learn from them? Who You Are and What You Do presents a tableaux of interweaving stories about the social pressure to be happy all of the time. Played in a different order every night, the play explores the conflicts, addictions and struggles of searching for the best version of ourselves. (This script went to print before the end of rehearsals.)
