David Harrower’s Blackbird is not an easy watch, nor is it an easy read. It forces the audience to look directly at a complex and difficult subject. By focusing on the direct confrontation between characters, Harrower creates a powerful, intimate, and unforgettable theatrical experience that examines the long-term consequences of past actions.
The entire play takes place in real-time in the stark, cluttered breakroom of a manufacturing pharmaceutical company where Ray now works under a new identity. Una has tracked him down after seeing his photograph in a trade magazine. Over the course of ninety minutes, without an intermission, they fiercely dissect their past, their memories, and the wreckage left behind. Core Themes and Literary Analysis
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Due to its nature, the success of Blackbird relies on two incredibly strong performances. The roles demand emotional vulnerability and extreme focus.
David Harrower, a celebrated Scottish playwright, wrote Blackbird in 2005. The play was commissioned by the Edinburgh International Festival and originally directed by the legendary Peter Stein.
