Out of the Margins

In a London psychiatric hospital, an enigmatic patient claims to be the son of an African dictator, a story that becomes unnervingly plausible. Listed as one of Evening Standard's "50 best plays of the 21st century" and The Guardian's "50 best theatre shows of the 21st century", this is an incendiary tale of race, madness and a Darwinian power struggle at the heart of a dying National Health Service. The playwright, Joe Penhall, has donated to the auction this special copy of his "Press Night Script" from 13th April 2000 with annotations from the original rehearsal and fresh new annotations today. 

This is a liberally annotated lot with plenty of scribbles in the margins, lines highlighting whole sections and paragraph-length notes on the opposing page to give more context. Like this one: 

"I wanted to cut all this in the week before rehearsals started. I suggested the cut to RM (Roger Michell). 
'You're fucking mad,' he said. 'It's theatrical gold. Trust me!' 
As always I took his advice. 
RM always right + utterly 
Clairvoyent." 

Find out about the "one more twist" Joe Penhall added in (at Roger Michell's request) during the final weeks of rehearsal, only for the actors to completely forget it! 

Enjoy learning the tricks of the trade, how Penhall ends his "tiny 3-ringed circus" in a certain way at Roger Michell's recommendation, and find out how the playwright gets "as close to theatrical divinity as it gets". 

A fantastic, expansive, insightfully annotated, very special edition of an important play from the very start of the century.