Archives: Plays

Author: In-Sook Chappell

Year: 2021

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: The Free9 follows nine teenagers fleeing the North in search of a new life in the South. Facing danger at every turn, their journey intertwines with the bizarre spectacle of a South Korean variety show, blending hope, cultural difference, and political critique. Originally for National Theatre Connections 2018, the play combines tense storytelling with K-pop dance interludes, highlighting resilience and the challenges of life under totalitarianism.

Publication: Chappell, I. (2021 2021). The Free9. In The Free9 (pp. 2–57). London: Methuen Drama.

Author: Tonderai Munyevu

Year: 2021

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: Mugabe, My Dad and Me is a semi-autobiographical one-man show exploring Zimbabwe’s post-independence history through the lens of his own family, particularly his relationship with his father. Blending storytelling with Mugabe’s speeches and live mbira music by Millie Chapanda, the performance examines identity, colonial legacies, and personal memory. Munyevu’s witty, direct style engages audiences while unpacking complex intersections of politics, history, and personal experience.

Publication: Munyevu, T. (2021 2021). Mugabe, My Dad and Me. In Mugabe, My Dad and Me (pp. v–56). London: Methuen Drama.

Author: Paul Sirett

Year: 2008

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: International Café is a short play designed to be performed in restaurant settings, weaving together the stories of its staff and customers. The production creates an intimate, immersive experience, delighting audiences with a lively ensemble of exotic characters and a crescendo of theatrical energy that leaves a lasting impression.

Publication: Sirett, P. (2008 2021). International Café. In Sirett Plays Two (pp. 199–219). London: Oberon Books.

Author: Tanika Gupta and Harold Brighouse

Year: 2003

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: Hobson’s Choice relocates Harold Brighouse’s 1916 comedy to a modern Salford Asian community, exploring generational tensions, arranged marriages, and female agency. Widower Hari Hobson runs a dress-making business with three daughters, but when eldest daughter Durga is told she cannot marry, she defies him and opens her own rival shop. Gupta’s version mixes sharp wit with contemporary cultural references—acid house, saris, and post-Ugandan-Asian migration—while highlighting political and social parallels. The play balances humor with familial and societal critique, featuring Durga’s journey toward independence and romantic fulfillment.

Publication: Gupta, T., & Brighouse, H. (2003 2020). Hobson’s Choice. In Hobson’s Choice (pp. x–107). London: Oberon Books.

Author: Hannah Khalil

Year: 2022

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: Plan D follows a Palestinian farming family during the 1948 creation of the State of Israel. As war approaches, a family secret is revealed, triggering internal conflict alongside forced migration. The play explores themes of exile, masculinity, and survival. It is included in Plays of Arabic Heritage, a collection of works by Palestinian-Irish playwright Hannah Khalil exploring Arab identity and history across a turbulent decade.

Publication: Khalil, H. (2022 2022). Plan D. In Hannah Khalil: Plays of Arabic Heritage (pp. 2–58). London: Methuen Drama.

Author: Jessica Butcher

Year: 2022

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: What’s Mine & What’s Yours tells the harrowing story of Edrina, trafficked at fifteen and held captive for six years across Europe. After escaping, she faces a UK immigration system that deems her story “not credible,” leaving her vulnerable to re-trafficking. The play exposes the failures of bureaucracy in protecting survivors and is supported by the Helen Bamber Foundation, which advocates for comprehensive care and systemic change.

Publication: Butcher, J. (2022 2023). What’s Mine & What’s Yours. In What’s Mine & What’s Yours (pp. x–50). London: Methuen Drama.

Author: Heather Raffo

Year: 2021

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: Noura by Heather Raffo explores the fractured identity of an Iraqi Christian refugee struggling to reconcile past and present in post-9/11 America. Inspired by A Doll’s House, the play centers on Noura’s internal exile, resurfaced secrets, and cultural conflict during a Christmas gathering. As her carefully built American life unravels, tensions around womanhood, exile, and belonging erupt. Part of Raffo’s collected works, Noura offers a rare, feminist lens on refugee life and the emotional toll of assimilation.

Publication: Raffo, H. (2021 2021). Noura. In Heather Raffo’s Iraq Plays: The Things That Can’t Be Said (pp. 92–149). London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Author: Matthew Dunster

Year: 2017

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: Matthew Dunster’s A Tale of Two Cities reimagines Dickens’s classic by interweaving the French Revolution with present-day issues like displacement and social inequality. The plot follows characters caught in the chaos of revolution, drawing parallels to modern refugee crises. Despite its innovative staging and visual transitions, the story becomes difficult to follow due to temporal shifts and uneven delivery, ultimately diluting the emotional impact of Dickens’s original narrative.

Publication: Dunster, M. (2017 2021). A Tale of Two Cities. In A Tale of Two Cities (pp. 7–143). London: Oberon Books.

Author: Benjamin Zephaniah

Year: 2022

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: Refugee Boy follows Alem, a teenager left alone in England by his father to escape the civil war in Ethiopia. As he navigates the British asylum system, Alem faces isolation, bureaucracy, and prejudice. Through friendships with Mustapha, Ruth, and Sweeney, he finds hope, identity, and strength. Based on Benjamin Zephaniah’s novel, the play explores belonging, resilience, and what it means to seek refuge.

Publication: Zephaniah, B., & Sissay, L. (2022 2024). Refugee Boy. In Refugee Boy (pp. 35–89). London: Methuen Drama.

Author: Sonya Kelly

Year: 2020

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: How to Keep an Alien is a witty and heartfelt autobiographical play by Sonya Kelly, following her journey to prove her love for her Australian partner, Kate, to Irish immigration authorities. From Ireland to Australia, their bureaucratic odyssey is filled with humour, love, and endless paperwork. Blending comedy, storytelling, and theatrical charm, the play explores the absurdity of immigration systems and the resilience required to keep love alive across borders.

Publication: Kelly, S. (2020 2021). How to Keep an Alien. In Rough Magic Theatre Company New Irish Plays and Adaptations, 2010–2018 (pp. 254–286). London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.