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| Road | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Jim Cartwright |
| Date premiered | 1986 |
| Place premiered | Royal Court Theatre Upstairs London, England |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Thatcher's Britain, Unemployment |
| Setting | 1980s, A town in Northern England |
Road is the first play written by Jim Cartwright, and was first produced in 1986 at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, directed by Simon Curtis.[1]
The play explores the lives of the people in a deprived, working class area of Lancashire during the government of Margaret Thatcher, a time of high unemployment in the north of England. Despite its explicit nature, it was considered extremely effective in portraying the desperation of people's lives at this time, as well as containing a great deal of humour. Set on a road on a busy night, the audience delve into the houses on the street and the characters' lives.
The play is often performed on a promenade, allowing the audience to follow the narrator (Scullery) along the road and visit different sets and the different homes of the characters.
The play has won a number of awards and was voted the 36th best play of the 20th century in a poll by the Royal National Theatre.[2]