A Day in the Death of Joe Egg

Synopsis

Joe Egg is the name given by Bri and Sheila to their spastic child. To make their lives bearable they have evolved an elaborate series of fantasy games about Joe. Yet ten years of devotion to a human vegetable have created terrible strains on their marriage and when Bri sees an opportunity of allowing Joe to die, he takes it. The attempt fails; Joe's living death will continue.

Our Review:

Scott Purvis - 22 October 2011

The language of disability has changed vastly since Peter Nichols' controversial yet celebrated A Day in the Death of Joe Egg had its world premiere at the Citizens Theatre in 1967. It is a curious thing that words like "spastic", freely and innocently used throughout the two hour long play, have a greater power to wound in the 21st century than they ever could in the decade it was written. And perhaps that is part of the value of this fascinating, witty and thought-provoking play.

Times have changed somewhat, although they probably have not changed as much as we would like to think. Here we have parents, driven to the brink of insanity and self-destruction, trying to cope with the personal difficulties and social prejudices associated with raising a child with cerebral palsy in 1960s England. A surprisingly modern play, it welcomes its characters to step outside of their existence, analysing their life story and frustrations with colour and vigour.

[Miles ...

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