Synopsis
Upfront Theatre - Plays for Young People
Published by Methuen
Large Mixed Cast
The four Plays are:
Why Is John Lennon Wearing A Skirt?
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
Explores a boy's relationship with his grandfather, who is suffering from Alzheimer's (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 re-imagined for a cast of around 20
The Year of the Monkey
This large cast version 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
Previously unpublished, this is a satirical play with music that exposes the true impact that earning a living has on young people in modern-day society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
"Dowie makes you laugh as she kicks you in the teeth" ~ Guardian
"Claire Dowie is the supreme advocate of rebellion. She debunks conformity or almost anything which can be defined" ~ Stage
"The female counterpart to Quentin Crisp" ~ Evening Standard