Blackbird (play)

This article is about the David Harrower play. For other theatrical works with similar titles, see Blackbird (disambiguation).
Blackbird

Script cover
Written by David Harrower
Characters Una & Ray
Date premiered 2005
Place premiered Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh, Scotland
Original language English
Subject An uneasy reunion between a woman and a middle-aged man fifteen years after he sexually abused her when she was twelve.
Genre Drama
Setting Office break room

Blackbird is a play written in 2005 by Scottish playwright David Harrower. It was inspired in part by the crimes of sex offender Toby Studebaker and depicts a young woman meeting a middle-aged man fifteen years after being sexually abused by him when she was twelve.

Synopsis

At his workplace, 55-year-old Ray is shocked to be visited by a young woman, 27-year-old Una. Fifteen years earlier, he had sexually abused her. This relationship, which included intercourse, began and ended when Una was 12 and Ray was 40. Ultimately, they ran off together, and Ray abruptly ditched Una at a motel in a location that was not familiar to the twelve-year-old. Ray was then arrested and imprisoned. Upon his release, he managed to establish a reasonably successful new life under another name, but Una recognized him in a photograph and tracked him down.

Ray takes Una to the office break room, where the two engage in a long and difficult confrontation involving Una's continuing struggles to understand and come to terms with the abuse and her intensely conflicting emotions, which pivot between anger, curiosity, confusion, and even a persistent attachment to Ray, whom Una loved - and she believed that he loved her. The fearful Ray parries her demanding questions and descriptions of her feelings and experiences, all the while uncertain of her intentions.

Film adaptation

A film adaptation of the play titled Una is set for a 2016 release.[1] The film stars Rooney Mara as Una and Ben Mendelsohn as Ray.[2]

Productions

Blackbird was commissioned by the Edinburgh International Festival, with a 2005 premiere at the festival, directed by Peter Stein. In February 2006, it opened at the West End Albery Theatre with Roger Allam and Jodhi May.[3] In September 2006, it was well received in Stockholm at Dramaten (Royal Dramatic Theatre), in a co-production with Helsingborg City Theatre, directed by Eva Dahlman; with Göran Stangertz and Anna Björk.[4][5][6] In the spring of 2007, the play had simultaneous American premieres by the Manhattan Theater Club (off-Broadway) and at American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. The New York production was directed by Joe Mantello,[7] and featured Jeff Daniels and Alison Pill in the lead roles. In April 2008, the play was revived by David Grindley at the Rose Theatre, Kingston prior to a national tour of the UK.[8] In March 2008, the play opened in Mumbai, India, starring Indian film and theatre veterans Akash Khurana and Shernaz Patel. This Akvarious Production was also later presented in Bangalore and in New Delhi. Shernaz Patel went on to win the award for Best Actress, for her portrayal of Una, at the 2010 Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards.[9] In March 2010, the play opened at Gothenburg City Theatre, Sweden, directed by Andrés Lima, starring Nina Zanjani and Lars Väringer. The play opened at Everyman Theatre on 12 May 2010, in Baltimore, Maryland, directed by Derek Goldman and starring Everyman Resident Company member Megan Anderson and David Parkes in his Everyman debut.[10]

A 2016 Broadway revival was mounted at the Belasco Theatre on 5 February 2016 (previews), officially on 10 March (through 10 June), starring Michelle Williams and Jeff Daniels. It was directed by Joe Mantello.[11] It received critical praise.[12]

As of September 2010, the work had more than 40 productions performed worldwide.

Venues (alphabetically)

"Liria" Hall, Tirana, ALBANIA

22-26 March 2016.

Directed by Donard Hasani

Baxter Theatre, Cape Town, South Africa

22 March - 8 April 2011

Directed by Bo Petersen

Belasco Theater, New York City

10 March - 11 June 2016

Directed by Joe Mantello

College of Charleston Center Stage

28 September – 1 October 2011

Directed by Jessica Dick

Flying Penguin Productions, Adelaide, Australia

22–30 October 2010, Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

Directed by David Mealor

Intimate Theatre, University of Cape Town

21 September - 2 October 2010

Directed by Bo Petersen

Národní divadlo

Translated by David Drozd. The play premiered 26 February 2010 in National Theatre, Prague.[13]

Directed by Jiří Pokorný

Piccolo Teatro di Milano

26 April – 29 May 2011[14] Translated by Alessandra Serra

Directed by Lluís Pasqual

Progress Theatre, Reading

17–22 October 2011

Directed by Tony Wernham

Setagaya Public Theatre, Tokyo

July 2009[15]

Directed by Tamiya Kuriyama

Singapore Repertory Theatre, Singapore

September 2010

Directed by Tracie Pang

Slovenian Theatre

On 10 May 2009 the play had its Slovenian language premiere at Cankar Hall, Ljubljana, Slovenija. Slovene title is Črni kos.[16]

Directed by Rene Maurin

The South African State Theatre, Pretoria

2–26 September 2015

Directed by Vanessa Cooke; production design by Wilhelm Disbergen

Teatre Lliure, Barcelona

On 16 January 2013 the play had its Catalan language premiere (translated by Júlia Ibarz) at Teatre Lliure, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.[17]

Directed by Lluís Pasqual

Theatr Bara Caws

13 April - 8 May 2010, translated by Bryn Fôn, the Welsh title is Deryn Du.

Directed by Sion Humphreys

Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, Montreal

September 2009

Directed by Claudia Stavisky

Théâtre Prospéro, Montreal

8–23 September 2011 Translated by Étienne Lepage

Direction : Téo Spychalski

Victory Gardens Biograph Theater

Directed by Dennis Začek

TrzyRzecze Theater, Bialystok

27 July 2012

Directed by Konrad Dulkowski and Rafał Gaweł

Forward Thinking Theatre, Hampshire, England

26-27 September 2014, Winchester Discovery Centre

Directed by Stephen Love

Awards and nominations

References

  1. ↑ Davis, Edward (6 November 2015). "First Look: Rooney Mara And Ben Mendelsohn In 'Una' (Formerly Known As 'Blackbird')". Indiewire.com. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  2. ↑ Rooney, David (5 November 2014). "Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn to Star in 'Blackbird'". Indiewire.com. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  3. ↑ Fisher, Philip. Blackbird, The British Theatre Guide, May 2006
  4. ↑ Schwartz, Neil. Strömförande kontakt, Expressen, 18 September 2006
  5. ↑ Gustafsson, Asnnika. Blackbird - en svart roll för Stangertz, Sydsvenskan, 17 January 2007
  6. ↑ Granath, Sara. Ett overgrepp pa nytt, SvD, 11 October 2007 (updated)
  7. ↑ Sommer, Elyse. A CurtainUp Review: Blackbird - CurtainUp, April 2007
  8. ↑ Thaxter, John. Blackbird - The British Theatre Guide, April 2008
  9. ↑ Nair, Nandini. Beyond black and white - The Hindu, 8 May 2009
  10. ↑ McCauley,Mary Carole. 'Blackbird' may be Megan Anderson's star turn - The Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2010
  11. ↑ Viagas, Robert. "'Blackbird', Starring Jeff Daniels and Michelle Williams, Arrives on Broadway Tonight" - playbill.com, 5 February 2016
  12. ↑ "Michelle Williams and Jeff Daniels Stun in Abuse Drama" - The Guardian, 10 March 2016
  13. ↑ Národní divadlo production
  14. ↑ Piccolo Teatro di Milano production
  15. ↑ Andrews, William. Japan gets a taste of bracing 'in-yer-face theater' - The Japan Times, 24 July 2009
  16. ↑ Slovenian Theatre production
  17. ↑ Teatre Lliure Production

Further reading

External links

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