THREE PLAYS

For a Theatre of Ideas – Beyond the Comfort of Realism Theatre need not confine itself to the familiar language of contemporary realism. Across this collection, Jonathan Pett and Fiorella Ruas challenge its limits and reopen theatre as a space of ideas — without sacrificing wit, humanity or theatrical pleasure. The Pariahs, The Hanuman and Moonwater explore exile, myth, identity and belief through drama that is precise, layered and idea-driven, yet always attentive to rhythm, character and humour. The Pariahs examines belonging and how communities define themselves by what — and whom — they reject. The Hanuman asks what happens when devotion becomes indistinguishable from submission, and when moral certainty replaces ethical responsibility. Moonwater stages a volatile exploration of dualism, where fractured identities collide and exclusion erupts into violence when the unseen refuse to remain invisible. Rather than reproducing the everyday, these plays reshape it — creating spaces where language carries argument, silence has weight and humour unsettles what power tries to contain. For all their structural precision, they remain grounded in recognisably human conflict: flawed, searching characters navigating systems larger than themselves. The Pariahs and The Hanuman were developed at the Royal National Theatre Studio and performed on the London fringe. The Hanuman was also nominated for the George Devine Award. This volume stands within the European tradition of literary theatre of ideas while speaking directly to contemporary concerns. It will appeal to: • Directors seeking idea-led, text-driven theatre • Actors drawn to demanding, intelligent roles • Academics and students of contemporary drama • Readers interested in philosophical and aesthetic exploration If you believe theatre should challenge its audience — not by shouting, but by thinking — this collection offers three distinct and fully performable works.