A Fight Against. (Modern Plays)

“He said, ‘The day will come when they don’t cut our heads off in front of people.’ And I asked him, ‘Why?’ And he said, ‘Because we’ll cut them off ourselves.’” A lecturer in Chile. A study group in the USA. A guard in the desert. A hangman in Mexico. A woman who won’t stop dancing in Peru. Pablo Manzi’s darkly comic odyssey across the Americas explores whether violence brings us closer together and what it takes to make a community. A Fight Against… marks the English-language debut of one of Chile’s most significant new voices. It was developed on a residency at the Royal Court Theatre, London, where it premiered in December 2021 in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs.

Pablo Manzi's theatre credits include: Donde Viven los Bárbaros (BONOBO/Festival Santiago a Mil, Chile/Festival Adelante, Germany/MIT BH, Brasil/Festival Cádiz, Spain/FIT, México/Temporada Alta, Perú); Tú Amarás (BONOBO/ Festival Santiago a Mil, Chile/Noorderzon, Netherlands/Residency Baryshnikov Art Center, USA/KFDA, Belgium/Triennale de Milano,Italy); Amansadura (BONOBO/Teatro del Puente, Chile/Festival Cielos del Infinito, Chile). Awards include: Chilean Art Critique Organisation Award for Best Playwriting, Municipality of Santiago Award for Best Playwriting, Chilean Council for Arts & Culture Award for Best Playwriting (Donde viven los bárbaros).

William Gregory has been translating plays since 2003. He has translated over 100 plays, many of them new works, for theatres and organisations including Royal Court Theatre, the BBC, the Old Vic and the Edinburgh International Festival, and performed around the world. Find out more at www.williamgregory.co.uk.