Description
A dark love story, written in response to The Tempest, Leo Butler's I'll Be the Devil is set in occupied Ireland in 1775. Knowing that her soldier lover is leaving for England, a local woman unleashes a sequence of events that will result in tragedy for both their children. With a poetic fearlessness, Leo Butler looks at what happens when a brutal foreign power is in intimate and callous contact with the primitive heart of an ancient society. This is an epic play that marks an exciting departure from the stark realism of Butler's earlier work and that provides a powerful demonstration of Butler's maturity and ambition as a writer.
Commissioned and produced by the RSC in a production that opens at the Tricycle Theatre, London in February 2008 Publication timed to coincide with the premiere as part of the RSC's 'Complete Works' season Leo Butler was awarded the George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright in 2001 Written in response to The Tempest, the play is an exciting departure from the gritty realism of Butler's earlier work and will have a broad appeal to theatre enthusiasts
About the Author
London-based Leo Butler was awarded the 2001 George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright for his first full-length play Redundant. Since then he has had plays commissioned and produced by, among others, the Royal Court Theatre, the RSC, and the National Theatre's Education Department.
Reviews
A gripping play that is not at all pretty ... this is, in short, an extraordinary piece of writing which comes at you in a blizzard of diseased banter. Daily Mail The brutal power of the piece, however, remains undeniable and is enhanced by some outstanding performances. Daily Express This lush, savage, nightmarish imagining of colonial Ireland circa 1762 suggests an imagination that has suddenly, gloriously and recklessly taken wing. Time Out London I was thrilled at the provocation of it, transfixed by its darkness. Time Out London
Book Information
ISBN 9781408101490
Author Leo Butler
Format Paperback
Page Count 144
Imprint Methuen Drama
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 170g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 9mm
Commissioned and produced by the RSC in a production that opens at the Tricycle Theatre, London in February 2008 Publication timed to coincide with the premiere as part of the RSC's 'Complete Works' season Leo Butler was awarded the George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright in 2001 Written in response to The Tempest, the play is an exciting departure from the gritty realism of Butler's earlier work and will have a broad appeal to theatre enthusiasts
About the Author
London-based Leo Butler was awarded the 2001 George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright for his first full-length play Redundant. Since then he has had plays commissioned and produced by, among others, the Royal Court Theatre, the RSC, and the National Theatre's Education Department.
Reviews
A gripping play that is not at all pretty ... this is, in short, an extraordinary piece of writing which comes at you in a blizzard of diseased banter. Daily Mail The brutal power of the piece, however, remains undeniable and is enhanced by some outstanding performances. Daily Express This lush, savage, nightmarish imagining of colonial Ireland circa 1762 suggests an imagination that has suddenly, gloriously and recklessly taken wing. Time Out London I was thrilled at the provocation of it, transfixed by its darkness. Time Out London
Book Information
ISBN 9781408101490
Author Leo Butler
Format Paperback
Page Count 144
Imprint Methuen Drama
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 170g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 9mm
