England & Son

Written by the award-winning playwright behind The Political History of Smack and Crack, England & Son is a kaleidoscopic odyssey, where disaster capitalism, empire, Thatcherite politics, stolen youth and stolen wealth merge into the tale of a working-class boy who just wants his dad to smile at him

With some deep, dark laughs – and some deep, dark love – England & Son is a one-man play by Ed Edwards, first performed by the celebrated political comedian Mark Thomas

This edition also features an illuminating essay by the author, 'Writing the End of Empire'

REVIEWS

"Desperately angry and loving... Edwards' narrator is no mere symbol of anything: he’s a living, breathing, funny and flawed boy whose horizons are rapidly collapsing around him... What prevents England & Son from backsliding into mere pain pornography is its insistence on joy, even beauty, as meaningful and essential lessons in creating a better world" ~Fest Mag

"A funny and ferocious telling of a lost childhood that frames the story of a juvenile offender through the lens of colonialism... powerful and moving" ~ Guardian

"Tremendous energy and real pathos" ~ The Stage

"A triumph... Ed Edwards' play has a terrifying force as it charts the story of a homeless man... it unfolds in fragmentary snapshots, kaleidoscopic images that build a picture in shards... The play's observations are fierce and sharp; its empathy, profound and moving" ~ WhatsOnStage