Winterlong

Synopsis

From the moment he came into the world as the snow fell and the cold wind blew, Oscar's existence has been a stagger through an underworld peopled by loners and losers, and he's aching to piece it all together. With the figures that clot his life unwilling to fix him when they're unable to fix themselves, Oscar must discover whether or not a bird with a broken wing can ever learn to fly or is destined to remain earthbound forever in Andrew Sheridan's shattering and heartbreaking play.

Our Review:

1 March 2011

"They fuck you up, your mum and dad…" So begins "This Be The Verse", Philip Larkin’s infamous rallying call to end the interminable production line of progeny he sees miserably populating the earth. It’s a biting sentiment and one that could have found no greater spiritual home than Andrew Sheridan’s bleak debut play Winterlong.

Oscar, a sweet natured kid, slowly has his hopes and dreams of love squashed out of him by his self loathing adult relations. Ignored, inappropriately propositioned, stolen from, his grandparents and parents cannot even bring themselves to hold his hand.

Joint winner of the Bruntwood Competition in 2008, Winterlong is a text of admirable structural ambition. Weighing in at a hefty two hours plus and with pretentions to the heightened naturalism of Harold Pinter or Howard Barker, Sheridan has certainly dreamt big.

Sarah Frankcom’s desolate production does...

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Latest User Review

theatregoer - 10 March 2011:

grim...

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