Rita, Sue and Bob Too; A State Affair (Modern Plays) - Softcover

Dunbar, Andrea; Soans, Robin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0413757005 ISBN 13: 9780413757005

Publisher: Methuen Drama, 2009

Synopsis

Originally commissioned by Max Stafford-Clark for the Royal Court in 1982, Rita, Sue and Bob Too caused a sensation on its first performance for its frank portrayal of child sexuality in a northern town; the fact that the play was based on the writer's own experience only added to the furore.

Eighteen years later, Stafford-Clarke returned with a group of actors to the Bradford estates that Andrea knew. A State Affair by Robin Soans is a record of what they found.

'A genius straight from the slums' - Shelagh Delaney (on Andrea Dunbar) Mail on Sunday

'This is life, the facts are there... these things do go on - maybe not in every circle, but certainly in mine' - Andrea Dunbar, Yorkshire Post, 1986.

Out of Joint's production of Rita, Sue and Bob Too and A State Affair premiered at the Liverpool Everyman Theatre in October 2000.

About this title

About the Author:

Andrea Dunbar was a British playwright. Her first play was The Arbor (1977), a brilliant depiction of an abusive father-daughter relationship. The play premiered at the Royal Court, directed by Max Stafford-Clark, winning the Young Writers' Festival. Her most well-known piece for theatre is Rita, Sue and Bob Too (1982), which was set in Bradford, West Yorkshire, and was a study of the sexual adventures of teenage girls. This was adapted for a film in 1986. Her third play, Shirley was produced in 1986. She died of a brain haemorrhage in 1990, at the age of 29.

Born in 1947, Robin Soans is an English actor and playwright, who specialises in verbatim theatre. His plays include: Across the Divide, A State Affair (published by Methuen Drama, 2000); The Arab-Israeli Cookbook, Talking to Terrorists, Life after Scandal, Bet Noir and Will and Testament.

Review:

If you've ever known a junkie or an alkie, or felt for a second that your own life might spiral out of control, you'll recognise the mix of despair and black humour as the real thing. By the end of it, you just might feel like crying. * The Guardian * Dunbar's play is as fresh as a stiff northerly wind off the Pennines. The story is bursting with a gutsy vitality * London Evening Standard * A brilliant, scabrous comedy * Daily Mail * ...a gritty and penetrating insight into the lives of two working class teenage girls struggling to find their way in the early years of Margaret Thatcher's Britain. -- The Reviews Hub The voice of writer Andrea Dunbar showcased reality using sharp humour and an even sharper social commentary. -- The Mancunion

About this edition

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0413757005
• ISBN 13: 9780413757005
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192