Moscow, 1938. A dangerous place to have a sense of humour; even more so a sense of freedom. Mikhail Bulgakov, living among dissidents, stalked by secret police, has both. And then he's offered a poisoned chalice: a commission to write a play about Stalin to celebrate his sixtieth birthday.

Inspired by historical fact, Collaborators embarks on a surreal journey into the fevered imagination of the writer as he loses himself in a macabre and disturbingly funny relationship with the omnipotent subject of his drama.

Killing my enemies is easy. The challenge is to change the way they think, to control their minds. And I think I controlled yours pretty well. In years to come, I'll be able to say: Bulgakov? Yeah, we even trained him. He gave up. He saw the light. We broke him, we can break anybody. It's man versus monster, Mikhail. And the monster always wins.

John Hodge's blistering new play depicts a lethal game of cat and mouse through which the appalling compromises and humiliations inflicted on any artist by those with power are held up to scrutiny.

Collaborators by John Hodge premiered at the National Theatre, London, in October 2011. It is published here with an introduction by the author.

About the Author
John Hodge was born in Glasgow in 1964. After graduating in Medicine at Edinburgh University, he practised as a doctor before turning to screenwriting. His first screenplay was Shallow Grave. His scripts since then include Trainspotting, A Life Less Ordinary, The Beach, The Sweeny, Trance, The Program, and T2:Trainspotting. He has written one play, Collaborators.


Book Information
ISBN 9780571283996
Author John Hodge
Format Paperback
Page Count 128
Imprint Faber & Faber
Publisher Faber & Faber
Weight(grams) 120g
Dimensions(mm) 200mm * 125mm * 5mm