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Jez Butterworth burst onto the theatre scene aged twenty-five with Mojo, “one of the most dazzling Royal Court main stage debuts in years” (Time Out). In addition to Mojo, this collection contains three of his early plays, two short one-person pieces published here for the first time, and an exclusive interview with the playwright.
Mojo, staged in 1995 but set in the Soho clubland of 1958, “superbly captures the atmosphere of the infant British rock and roll scene where seedy low-lifers hustle for the big time” (Daily Telegraph). It is “Beckett on speed” (Observer) by a “dramatist of obvious talent and terrific promise” (The Times).
The Night Heron (2002) is set in Cambridgeshire Fens amongst assorted oddballs, birdwatchers and the local constabulary. “It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s haunting and it is also strangely beautiful. Above all, it is quite unlike anything you’ve ever seen before” (Daily Telegraph).
In The Winterling (2006) a gangland fugitive is visited by two associates from the city who have other things on their mind than a jolly reunion. “The dialogue is testosterone taut, a sense of menace invades every conversation… and as tales of torture and treachery unfold, the black comedy never misses” (Time Out).
The housing estate in Parlour Song (2008) is “a place of illicit desire and painful memories, of bad dreams and mysterious disappearances… a play that combines the comic, the erotic and the downright disconcerting with superb panache” (Daily Telegraph).
Jez Butterworth is the author of The River, Mojo, The Night Heron, The Winterling, Parlour Song and Jerusalem. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the E. M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He lives in Somerset, England.
Mojo, staged in 1995 but set in the Soho clubland of 1958, “superbly captures the atmosphere of the infant British rock and roll scene where seedy low-lifers hustle for the big time” (Daily Telegraph). It is “Beckett on speed” (Observer) by a “dramatist of obvious talent and terrific promise” (The Times).
The Night Heron (2002) is set in Cambridgeshire Fens amongst assorted oddballs, birdwatchers and the local constabulary. “It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s haunting and it is also strangely beautiful. Above all, it is quite unlike anything you’ve ever seen before” (Daily Telegraph).
In The Winterling (2006) a gangland fugitive is visited by two associates from the city who have other things on their mind than a jolly reunion. “The dialogue is testosterone taut, a sense of menace invades every conversation… and as tales of torture and treachery unfold, the black comedy never misses” (Time Out).
The housing estate in Parlour Song (2008) is “a place of illicit desire and painful memories, of bad dreams and mysterious disappearances… a play that combines the comic, the erotic and the downright disconcerting with superb panache” (Daily Telegraph).
Jez Butterworth is the author of The River, Mojo, The Night Heron, The Winterling, Parlour Song and Jerusalem. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the E. M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He lives in Somerset, England.
Price: $18.95
Pages: 300
Publisher: Theatre Communications Group
Imprint: Theatre Communications Group
Publication Date:
03 April 2012
Trim Size: 7.75 X 5.00 in
ISBN: 9781559364188
Format: Paperback
Mojo
“One of the most dazzling Royal Court main stage debuts in years” – Time Out London
“The language, blunt and coarse and often hilarious, pours out of the characters with the force of the blaring jukebox rock that forms a leitmotif for the dark, violent action.” -- Richard Christiansen, Chicago Tribune
“Welcome to the authentic world of the Krays, though convulsively foul-mouthed in the manner of present-day successors. And of Reservoir Dogs, with which Butterworth’s paly has a lot in common, from the spivvy suits to the cleverly-choreographed business with guns and knives. But while one senses Tarantino grinning like a cruel child at the fantasies he’s unleashed, Butterworth seems genuinely curious about the druggy characters he has created.” – Independent on Sunday
“It hasn’t aged a bit. This is as sharp as the West End gets.” – Caroline McGinn, Time Out London
“Packs plenty of punch.” – Michael Billington, The Guardian
“A dramatist of obvious talent and terrific promise” – The Times
“Electrifying. Seeing and hearing Mojo suggests the excitement of discovering Harold Pinter, Sam Shepard, or Mr. Mamet for the first time.” – Ben Brantley, New York Times
“Combines the verbal menace of Harold Pinter and the physical violence of Quentin Tarantino."—Sunday Times
The Night Heron
“Pure Poetry! It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s haunting and it is also strangely beautiful. Best of all, it is quite unlike anything you have seen before.” -- Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph
“Dark, funny, spellbinding. Works like poetry. The writing is blunt, ribald, allusive. A beautiful, haunting play.” – Sunday Times
The Winterling
FOUR STARS: “It can only be a matter of time before Guy Ritchie options the rights for a film version of Jez Butterworth’s latest play, ‘The Winterling’. The dialogue is testosterone taut, a sense of menace invades every conversation like a razor-blade… The playwright who made such a splash with his debut, ‘Mojo’, proves his continuing talent for creating a well-honed play with knock-out one-liners. This time his verbal repetition and feral power-games pay clear tribute to Pinter yet Butterworth makes the style his own by augmenting it with a percussive alliterative wordplay; ‘Go on Patsy. Pop your slacks off,’ one character taunts. ‘Pop them off.’” – Rachel Halliburton, Time Out London
“A menacing and quirkily farcical piece with some startling plot developments.” – Kate Bassett, The Independent
“Built on more plot twists and turns than a theme park ride, more rapid-fire jokes than a stand-up comic’s convention and more character reversals than a case of multiple personality disorder.” – Gerald Berkowitz, The Stage.co.uk
FOUR STARS: “Exhilarating” – Dominic Cavendish, The Daily Telegraph
Parlour Song
FOUR STARS: “Butterworth exactly captures the mundane madness beneath the bland routine of affluence.” – Michael Billington, The Guardian
FOUR STARS: "The sharpest, funniest piece [Jez Butterworth] has written since his precocious debut... I haven't laughed as much in ages" – Benedict Nightingale, The Times
"Painfully beautiful hilarious comedy...the strong cast excells...emotionally intense and superbly written" – Aleks Sierz, The Stage
“Now this is adult entertainment. Parlour Song is a smart and rueful new play.” -- Ben Brantley, New York Times
“One of the most dazzling Royal Court main stage debuts in years” – Time Out London
“The language, blunt and coarse and often hilarious, pours out of the characters with the force of the blaring jukebox rock that forms a leitmotif for the dark, violent action.” -- Richard Christiansen, Chicago Tribune
“Welcome to the authentic world of the Krays, though convulsively foul-mouthed in the manner of present-day successors. And of Reservoir Dogs, with which Butterworth’s paly has a lot in common, from the spivvy suits to the cleverly-choreographed business with guns and knives. But while one senses Tarantino grinning like a cruel child at the fantasies he’s unleashed, Butterworth seems genuinely curious about the druggy characters he has created.” – Independent on Sunday
“It hasn’t aged a bit. This is as sharp as the West End gets.” – Caroline McGinn, Time Out London
“Packs plenty of punch.” – Michael Billington, The Guardian
“A dramatist of obvious talent and terrific promise” – The Times
“Electrifying. Seeing and hearing Mojo suggests the excitement of discovering Harold Pinter, Sam Shepard, or Mr. Mamet for the first time.” – Ben Brantley, New York Times
“Combines the verbal menace of Harold Pinter and the physical violence of Quentin Tarantino."—Sunday Times
The Night Heron
“Pure Poetry! It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s haunting and it is also strangely beautiful. Best of all, it is quite unlike anything you have seen before.” -- Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph
“Dark, funny, spellbinding. Works like poetry. The writing is blunt, ribald, allusive. A beautiful, haunting play.” – Sunday Times
The Winterling
FOUR STARS: “It can only be a matter of time before Guy Ritchie options the rights for a film version of Jez Butterworth’s latest play, ‘The Winterling’. The dialogue is testosterone taut, a sense of menace invades every conversation like a razor-blade… The playwright who made such a splash with his debut, ‘Mojo’, proves his continuing talent for creating a well-honed play with knock-out one-liners. This time his verbal repetition and feral power-games pay clear tribute to Pinter yet Butterworth makes the style his own by augmenting it with a percussive alliterative wordplay; ‘Go on Patsy. Pop your slacks off,’ one character taunts. ‘Pop them off.’” – Rachel Halliburton, Time Out London
“A menacing and quirkily farcical piece with some startling plot developments.” – Kate Bassett, The Independent
“Built on more plot twists and turns than a theme park ride, more rapid-fire jokes than a stand-up comic’s convention and more character reversals than a case of multiple personality disorder.” – Gerald Berkowitz, The Stage.co.uk
FOUR STARS: “Exhilarating” – Dominic Cavendish, The Daily Telegraph
Parlour Song
FOUR STARS: “Butterworth exactly captures the mundane madness beneath the bland routine of affluence.” – Michael Billington, The Guardian
FOUR STARS: "The sharpest, funniest piece [Jez Butterworth] has written since his precocious debut... I haven't laughed as much in ages" – Benedict Nightingale, The Times
"Painfully beautiful hilarious comedy...the strong cast excells...emotionally intense and superbly written" – Aleks Sierz, The Stage
“Now this is adult entertainment. Parlour Song is a smart and rueful new play.” -- Ben Brantley, New York Times
JEZ BUTTERWORTH: Plays include Jerusalem, Mojo, The Night Heron, The Winterling and Jerusalem. Mojo, The Night Heron and Parlour Song have been produced in New York in acclaimed productions at Atlantic Theater Company. He has written and directed two films: Mojo (1998) and Birthday Girl (2002). In 2009 he wrote and produced Fair Game. He is writing the screenplay for London Calling, about the British punk rock band, the Clash. He has won two Evening Standard Awards and Olivier, Critics Circle, Writers Guild and George Devine Awards. In 2007, he received the E.M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.