The birth of their daughter should be one of the happiest days of Ed and Lisas life. An NHS maternity ward and their somewhat unusual circumstances make for an unsettling and satisfyingly comic sequence of events that tests their relationship to the core; and raises intrinsic questions about the nature of birth and renewal; fear and isolation.Subverting the received gender roles to darkly comic and disturbing effect; the play charts Ed and Lisas personally fraught experience at the behest of an NHS labour ward. Penhall expertly weaves an acutely funny and emotionally charged sequence of events: he pitches wryly observed gender perceptions of a quite literal life and death situation against an indictment of the NHS system. The beautifully observed writing is at once vicious and searingly tender.Birthday achieves an intensely comic counterpoint to teh visceral domestic drama sutured to bigger issues of aspiration; sacrifice; who we are; how we communicate; the triumph of tolerance; nature and ultimately love.
#2126014 in eBooks 2008-02-15 2012-07-24File Name: B00BGMZ9D4
Review
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Outstanding subject/Poor printing qualityBy D. CrosbyI wont comment on the content of this book (you are either interested in this subject or not); but I do want to warn you that my copy is poorly printed. Its almost as if the printer was running out of ink. Curved letters (like c and s) are incomplete. I adore the subject matter and will sit somewhere with good lighting; but Im disappointed in the quality of the physical book.