'Jo and Harry are changing.
Harry is changing more than most, undeniably.
And change is beautiful. Necessary. Terrifying.'

Break-ups aren't just about who gets the CD collection. As Jo and Harry begin to untangle themselves from each other, new worlds start to open up - worlds filled with new partners, new identities, new possibilities...

What kind of women do they want to be, and do they have the courage, or the permission, to get there?

Chris Bush's play Otherland is a bold and beautiful exploration of what it means to be true to yourself in the face of unstoppable change. It premiered at the Almeida Theatre, London, in 2025, directed by Ann Yee.

Otherland was a finalist for the 2025 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.

'A writer of great wit and empathy' The Times

'One of our most prolific and arresting writers' Evening Standard

About the Author

Chris Bush is an award-winning playwright, lyricist and theatre-maker. Her many credits include Hungry, Not the End of the World, Rock/Paper/Scissors, Faustus: That Damned Woman and the book for the award-winning musical Standing at the Sky's Edge.

Reviews

'Bittersweet, uplifting and profoundly enlightening, this deeply felt drama brings remarkable clarity to some knotty and tremendously contentious topics... seamlessly blends song, surreal imagery and realistic dialogue scenes... it works brilliantly... Bush fearlessly examines the gulf between the experiences of trans women and women assigned female at birth. The arguments that follow are lacerating, but ultimately, the play's message is hopeful and universal'

* The Stage *

'Tremendous... memorably surprising and satisfying'

* The Times *

'Lively, humane... tackles hot button issues with sensitivity and compassion'

* Evening Standard *

'A dream-like blend of tender poetry and pulsating humanity... Chris Bush has established herself as one of the UK's most erudite and important writers... you can sense her lived experience as a trans woman delicately coiled within the play's DNA... just as you think you can grasp it, Bush pulls the narrative rug from under us with a genre-bending twist. Otherland playfully melts into a swirling magical realist standoff between gothic and sci-fi... Bush's focus is always on the human heart beating beneath the strained surface, especially when it finds moments of joyous jubilation'

* Broadway World *

'Touchingly relatable... brimming with humour and compassion... a powerful reminder of how theatre lets us live beyond our own bodies'

* Guardian *

'Deeply moving... cleverly frames [ideas about] womanhood around the needs and desires of two very different characters... an affecting plea for connection and understanding'

* Telegraph *

'Quietly radical... the story challenges us with knotty, thorny, nuance... deft and deliciously strange'

* Time Out *

'A vivid, beautifully written take on the trans experience... Bush's writing is as fresh as a sea breeze and as lyrical as birdsong... joyful... an often laughter-filled odyssey'

* Arts Desk *

'A beautiful expression of compassion, sensitivity and bold celebration of womanhood... a show that you will be talking about for years to come... cements Chris Bush as one of the great playwrights to watch'

* Theatre & Tonic *

'Bush's most personal work yet... worthwhile, moving, and very much needed'

* Reviews Hub *

'Full of riches... peels back the layers with raw honesty... offers a rather different narrative structure, and the payoff is more than worth it... Chris Bush's writing is full of depth and nuance... she has an incredible way of finding the humanity in every situation... a gorgeous and important play'

* All That Dazzles *



Book Information
ISBN 9781839044335
Author Chris Bush
Format Paperback
Page Count 120
Imprint Nick Hern Books
Publisher Nick Hern Books
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 9mm