Kirjahaku

In this first collection by Zinnie Harris, Further than the Furthest Thing evokes the fragility of an island community as their way of life is threatened and they must determine their future, while Midwinter opens as a woman steals a dead horse to feed to a child. How To Hold Your Breath tells the story of a woman who sleeps with the devil and defends her belief in love, even as her world collapses around her, and Meet Me at Dawn offers a compelling, allegorical love story that explores the desolating effects of grief.With an introduction by director Dominic Hill.Further than the Furthest Thing'Already has the status of a modern classic.' Lyn Gardner, Guardian'Arguably the greatest tragedy in the Scottish theatrical canon' Mark Brown, TelegraphMidwinter'There is no mistaking her talent' Observer'A stunning metaphor for our time' HeraldHow to Hold Your Breath'Harris's writing is not only wonderfully imaginative, but also beautifully light.' Tribune'Dizzyingly bold . . . pressingly topical and admirably ambitious' Financial TimesMeet Me at Dawn'A twenty-first-century classic' Scotsman'Lyrical, raw and hazy' Sunday Times

On a remote island in the middle of the Atlantic secrets are buried. When the outside world comes calling, intent on manipulation for political and economic reasons, the islanders find their own world blown apart from the inside as well as beyond. Further Than The Furthest Thing is a beautifully drawn story evoking the sadness and beauty of a civilisation in crisis. Further Than The Furthest Thing premiered at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh in August, 2000.

Because we live in Europe. Because nothing really bad happens. The worst is a bit of an inconvenience. Perhaps not such a good mini break. But really in the grand scheme of life, not so bad.Starting with a seemingly innocent one night stand, this dark, witty and magical play by Zinnie Harris dives into our recent European history.An epic look at the true cost of principles and how we live now, How to Hold Your Breath premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in February 2015.

'Electrifying . . . This four-hour epic of ambition and power is a sinewy reworking of Aeschylus that explodes into a cacophonous climax.' GUARDIAN *****Aeschylus' Oresteia opens with Agamemnon sacrificing his daughter to the gods; an act which sets in motion a bloody cycle of revenge and counter-revenge. When he in turn is killed at the hands of his wife Clytemnestra, their son Orestes takes up the mantle of avenging his father, continuing the bloodshed until peace is ultimately found in the rule of law.Zinnie Harris reimagines this ancient drama, using a contemporary sensibility to rework the stories, placing the women in the centre. Orestes' leading role is replaced by his sister Electra, who as a young child witnesses her father's murder and is compelled to take justice into her own hands until she too must flee the Furies.Winner: Best New Play, Critics' Awards for Theatre in ScotlandThis Restless House premiered at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, in April 2016 in a co-production with the National Theatre of Scotland.

Two women wash up on a distant shore following a violent boating accident. Dazed by their experience, they look for a path home. But they discover that this unfamiliar land is not what it seems - and that, though they may be together, they have never been further apart.Unflinchingly honest and tenderly lyrical, Meet Me at Dawn is a modern fable exploring the triumph of everyday love, the mystery of grief, and the temptation to become lost in a fantasy future that will never be.Meet Me at Dawn by Zinnie Harris premiered at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, in August 2017.

Halvard Solness has arrived at the pinnacle of his career. He has just been awarded the prestigious Master Builder award, his beautiful wife still loves him, his beautiful secretary still flirts with him and Prince Charles is coming to open his new building tomorrow. Then a knock at the door propels Solness' past into everyone's future. The only way is down. Zinnie Harris's contemporary take on Henrik Ibsen's classic, The Master Builder, premiered at West Yorkshire Playhouse in September 2017.

You should know: I sing at parties, I wear colourful dresses, I am headstrong, I won't wear my hair up because you say I should, or do this because you prefer it, in fact I might do the other just to be contrary, but I am utterly and always myself.The Duchess is a young widow. And with money, sexual freedom and youth, she's a threat to the status quo; she could get to determine her own life. Terrified by her sudden power and its implications, her brothers Ferdinand and The Cardinal seek to block The Duchess's desires and to dismantle her authority and spirit by any means at their disposal. The results are horrifying, with bloody vengeance from the most unexpected of sources.The Duchess (of Malfi), Zinnie Harris's radical take on Webster's great revenge tragedy, premiered at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, in May 2019.

You'd be surprised how a simple thing like locking up your husband in the same room as you, makes you aware of something. Of being alive.The Scent of Roses begins with a wife who takes her husband hostage in order to have an honest conversation. This simple, transgressive act, and her demand for a straight answer, sparks a chain of conversations, interrogations, obfuscations and revelations, as they and those around them try to discover what is real and who they can trust in a post-truth world.Zinnie Harris's The Scent of Roses premieres at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, in February 2022.

The revised and updated edition of Zinnie Harris's powerful reimagining of Shakespeare's brutal tragedy, telling Lady Macbeth's story as it has never been heard before. 'A clever, heartfelt and, in the broadest and most persuasive sense, feminist revisiting of Shakespeare's great tragedy. Bold, innovative and bleakly comic, it justifies itself gloriously.' Daily TelegraphThis story will be told, the way it has always been told. What else use is it otherwise? The hags on the heath. The woman who went mad. The man who became a tyrant. When her husband returns victorious from the battlefield with a prophecy that he will become king of Scotland, Lady Macbeth vows to make their darkest ambitions a reality. So far, so familiar. But then the story fragments. Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth is ruthless and driven, unstoppable in her pursuit of power, yet she quickly descends into madness and despair. Zinnie Harris's thrilling new version undoes the narrative we know, and remakes it, examining Lady Macbeth's trajectory and asking if we have really heard the whole story. This edition includes an afterword by Dan Rebellato, Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London.Macbeth (an undoing) premiered at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, in February 2023.

Aeschylus’ Oresteia opens with Agamemnon sacrificing his daughter to the gods; an act which sets in motion a bloody cycle of revenge and counter-revenge. When he in turn is killed at the hands of his wife Clytemnestra, their son Orestes takes up the mantle of avenging his father, continuing the bloodshed until peace is ultimately found in the rule of law. Zinnie Harris reimagines this ancient drama, using a contemporary sensibility to rework the stories, placing the women in the centre. Orestes’ leading role is replaced by his sister Electra, who as a young child witnesses her father’s murder and is compelled to take justice into her own hands until she too must flee the Furies.

Aeschylus’ Oresteia opens with Agamemnon sacrificing his daughter to the gods; an act which sets in motion a bloody cycle of revenge and counter-revenge. When he in turn is killed at the hands of his wife Clytemnestra, their son Orestes takes up the mantle of avenging his father, continuing the bloodshed until peace is ultimately found in the rule of law. Zinnie Harris reimagines this ancient drama, using a contemporary sensibility to rework the stories, placing the women in the centre. Orestes’ leading role is replaced by his sister Electra, who as a young child witnesses her father’s murder and is compelled to take justice into her own hands until she too must flee the Furies.