A white-knuckle ride through a nightmare Dublin, where enemies and allies are interchangeable.

First we meet Howie. He tells us how, one night, he gets caught up in a gang intent on beating up Rookie. He's supposed to be baby-sitting his five-year-old brother, but he goes just the same. They beat up Rookie. Howie returns to discover a horrible accident has happened to the little boy. Then we hear the story from Rookie's point of view...

Mark O'Rowe's play Howie the Rookie was first performed at the Bush Theatre, London, in February 1999. It won the George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.

About the Author
Mark O'Rowe is an Irish playwright whose plays include Howie the Rookie (Bush Theatre, London, 1999), From Both Hips (Fishamble, 1997), Made in China (Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 2001), Crestfall (Gate Theatre, Dublin, 2003), Terminus (Abbey Theatre, 2007) and Our Few and Evil Days (Abbey Theatre, 2014). His version of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler was staged by the Abbey Theatre in 2015. His screenplays include Broken (2012), based on the novel by Daniel Clay, Perrier's Bounty (2009), Boy A (2007), based on the novel by Jonathan Trigell, and Intermission (2004). Author photo by Ros Kavanagh.

Reviews

'Grabs you by the collar and head-butts you into submission'

* Sunday Times *

'Outstanding'

* Telegraph *

'A magnificent mix of violence and poignancy'

* The Stage *

'Startling... there are shades of Homer's Odyssey in the sweep of this telling, or of Joyce's Ulysses in the elevation of ordinary detail to heroic form'

* Irish Times *

'Mesmerising... funny, tragic, shocking and disturbing in turn'

* Scotsman *

'[Has] the lip-smacking relish and the whooping vulgarity of Behan, Joyce or Flann O'Brien'

* Whatsonstage.com *


Awards
Winner of George Devine Award and Rooney Prize for Irish Literature 1999.



Book Information
ISBN 9781854594228
Author Mark O'Rowe
Format Paperback
Page Count 52
Imprint Nick Hern Books
Publisher Nick Hern Books
Weight(grams) 71g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 125mm * 4mm