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GettingToKnowSimonStephensandHisWork
BySusanMyerSilton,December2014
AfterreadinginterviewswithSimonStephens,watchinghimonYouTube,followinghim
onTwitter(#StephensSimon),readingmanyofhisplays,andhavingtheprivilegetosee
oneofhisplaysandgetthisclosetoseeinganother,IknowthatIamoneofthemost
fortunatepeopleintheworldtobeabletocallwhatI’mdoingwork.Ithasbeenablast,
becauseSimonStephensisablast.He’switty,eloquent,brash,profaneandincrediblykind.
Hisplaysarepeopledwithcharacterswhoclingtoyourconsciousnessforalongtime.He’s
amasterstorytelleratthetopofhisgame,andwe’reluckyenoughtobearoundforit.He’s
havinghisheyday–inDecember,hehadtwoplaysrunninginNewYork:TheCurious
IncidentoftheDogintheNight‐TimeonBroadway,andPunkRockOff‐.Christmaswas
playinginLondon,andallgotgreatreviewsandfullhouses.
SomethingsabouthimaresointerestingtomethatIhadtosharethem,thoughafewof
themdon’tdirectlypertaintoHarperRegan:
 Heoftenuseswomendirectors
 OutsideoftheUK,hisplaysaremostoftenperformedinGermany.
 Christmasishisonlyplaywithoutfemalecharacters,thoughhesaysthatthey’restill
init,theyjustdon’thavelines.
 HewasbornFebruary6,1971,whichmeanshe’llsoonbe44.Hehasalsowritten
morethan30plays.Dothemath,orastheysayintheUK,maths.He’swicked
prolific.
 Asyoulearnedfromtheglossary,hegrewupinStockport,GreaterManchester,
wheremanyofhisplaysareset.Playsthataren’tsetinStockportareoftenpeopled
withoneormorecharactersfromManchester.
 Whenhewrites,hedoesn’tseehischaractersintheirsettinginreallife.Hesees
themonthestage.Forthoseofuswhodirect,that’safascinating,evenweighty,
concept.
 Hestartedoutwantingtobeasongwriter.That’swhythere’ssomuchabout
contemporarymusicinhisplays.Heusedtoplayfor,andnowoccasionallysitsin
with,aScottishartpunkbandcalledCountryTeasers.Heevenwroteamusical,
MarineParade,withMarkEitzel,asongwriterandleadsingeroftheSanFrancisco
bandAmericanMusicClub.WhenStephensapproachedhimtocollaborate,Eitzel
toldhimhehadwantedtobeaplaywrightgrowingup.
 He’sadad.Herearetwothingshehastosayaboutit,bothfromhisTwitteraccount:
Thefirstishisprofile,whereheintroduceshimselfthusly:“Iamaplaywright.Ihave
threechildren.Threechildren.Fuck.IliveintheEastEndandIrideabicycle”.A
friend,NickGil,tweetedhimonNovember2,2014,aboutanticipatingthebirthof
hisbaby,whowas10daysoverdue.“RememberallthatstuffItalkedaboutdoing?
Saygoodbyetoallthatshit.”Stephensreplied,“No.Don’t.You’lldoallofit.And
better.”
 InaninterviewhedidforWhiteBearTheatrebeforetheirOctober‐November2014
revivalofhisplay,Christmas,firstproducedin2003,Stephenssaid,“Christmaswas
thelastoftheplayswritteninthisparticularmethodology,whichwastostartwitha
blankpageandstartwithanotionofcharactersandjusthavethosecharacterstalk
tooneanotherwithoutknowingwhatthestorywasgoingtobe,withoutreally
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havinganykindofintellectualownershipofthethemesoftheplaybutjustcarving
thestoryfromoutoftheinteractionbetweentheseimaginarycharactersinthis
imaginaryspace…afterthatIreallychangedmymethodology.HeronswasaplayI
wroteafterChristmas.Itwasthefirstoftenyearsofplays,whichIplanned
methodicallybeforewritingawordofdialogue,inwhichdialoguewasthelastthing
Iwrote.ButChristmaswasthelastoftheplaysIwrotefromapositionof
exploration.IsuspectthatwhenIwatchit,therewillbepartofmethatwillreally
mournandcherishthetypeofwritingthatcomesoutofthatpositionofexploration
wherethewriterdoesn’tknowwhatthecharactersaregoingtosaynextandquite
oftenyoucanwritethingsthataresurprisinglytangentialandalive.”
 AfterhesawChristmasperformedattheWhiteBear,hesentoutthesefourtweets:
“Iwouldnevertrustaplaywrightwhoonsomedeepleveldidn’tfuckinglove
actors”,followedby,“ImeanIhaveaproperaweandgratitudeforthem”,followed
by,“TonightIsawChristmasatWhiteBearTheatre.It’sanearlyplayofminethat
I’mproudofbutfuckmeitwaswellacted.Realtruthandgrace”,finishedoffwith,
“ThesenseofgratitudeIhaveforthatcastandthatdirectorisdeep”.
 HewasprofoundlyinfluencedwhenhesawtheDavidCromerversionofOurTown,
whichwasattheAlmeidaTheatreinLondonfromOct.10–Nov.29,2014.He
tweetedonNov28fromthesecondinterval,callingit“Utterlyfuckingmagic”.Forty‐
fourminuteslater,hetweeted,“Oneofthegreatnightsinthetheatre.Makesme
wanttotryharder.Asawriterandahuman.Iknowthatmakesmesoundlikea
dick.”Thenaminutelater,“Fuckit.OurTownissimplysublime.”
 WhenAmericanplaywrightStephenAdlyGuirgiswonthe2006PEN/LauraPels
FoundationAwardforDrama,hisjudge'scitationsaid,"Stepheniscraftinganew
kindofAmericanTheater,onewhichisuniqueinitsmultiplicityofvoices,rhythms,
andbeliefs.BygivingvoicetocharactersthatAmerica—andinturntheAmerican
theater—frequentlychoosestoexcludefromtheconversation,heiscreatinga
theatrethatfeelsvital,political,intimate,andundeniablyofthemoment…clearly
fueledbyhisownsenseoftruth,Guirgiscreatescharacterswhoarealltrapped
withintheurbanlandscape,butwhatcomesflyingoutoftheirmouthsisanything
butabjectsurrender…theyallspeak/shout/singalanguageofdefiance,itsmusicin
turnsribald,poetic,elegant,andoutrageous."TakeawaythereferencestoAmerica
andAmericanTheater,andsubstituteGreatBritainandBritishTheatre,andthey
couldbetalkingaboutSimonStephens.BothGuirgisandStephensfindthelarger
truthsinthedomesticdramaoflife,buteachalsofindsitimperativetoexamine
howcurrentissuesandcontroversiesaffectourlives.
HarperReganandthe“Library”
SirNicholasRobertHytner,orasheisknowntoStephens,NickHytner,isthedirectorof
theNationalTheatreinLondon,andatheatre,filmandoperadirector.Hehadasubstantial
anddirectinfluenceonHarperRegan.StephenswritesinhisIntroductiontoSimon
StephensPlays:3thatwhenhewas[thefirst]residentdramatistattheNationalTheatrein
2005,Hytnermadeaprovocativestatementatascriptmeetingofhisassociateswhenhe
askedwhynoplaywrightswrotesubstantialrolesforactressesintheirfortiesandfifties.
Stephenswrites:
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Iwasannoyedbyhiscomment.
Iwashalfwaythroughconceivingaplayaboutsomebodyontheborderlinesofthe
SexOffendersRegister.MyplaywasgoingtobecalledSethRegan.Iwasdrawnto
theuncontrollablecatastropheofsexualdesire.Iwashauntedbythemoralhysteria
surroundingcrimesofpaedophiliaoverthepastdecade.Thiswasn’tanattemptto
justifythecrimesomuchasasenseofbeingtroubledbymoralhysteriainanyform.
Oursexualdrivescanbesooftenunconscious.Theyalsodrivemoreofour
behaviourthansometimeswewishtheywould.Iwantedtowriteaboutpaedophilia
ifnotwithsympathythanatleastwithempathy.I’ddoneafairamountofplottingof
thisplay.IwasfuriousasItriedtoconceiveoftheplaytoldfromthepointofview
notofSethRegan,butofhiswife,forexample.Andthensurprisedandinspiredby
thewayinwhicheverysceneI’dconceivedseemedmuchmorealiveandalertfrom
herperspectivethanfromhis.Theplayquicklybecameaplayabouthiswife,whom
IchristenedHarper.
HarperReganwaswrittenwhenmywifewasinthesecondtermofherthird
pregnancy.Forthefirsttimewedecidedtofindoutthegenderofourbaby,andwe
were,bothofus,fairlystaggeredthatweweregoingtohaveadaughter.The
complicatednatureoffatheringadaughterandthestrangerelationshipsbetween
fathersanddaughterscrystallisedtheplay.Hytner,whohadencouragedmetoread
EugeneO’NeillasIwroteOnTheShore[oftheWide,WideWorld]hadforthisplay
suggestedtomethatIreadO’Neill’smainsource,Euripides.IreadfifteenEuripides
playsintwoweeksinpreparationforHarper.Iwasdrawntotheemotionally
wroughtfamilydramasplayingoutawfultransgressionsunderthewhimsofthe
gods.Iwantedtomakeaplayinwhichasimilarlywroughtfamilytransgression
playedoutunderanabsenceofaGod.Idecided,fairlyconsciously,toreturntothe
threegenerationsI’dusedforOntheShore.ButwithHarperRegan,Iwroteabout
threegenerationsofdaughters.
BillPetersaskedthatIcreatea“library”ofplaysthatarerelevanttoHarperReganandthat
youmightwanttoread.Whilemakingmychoices,IwasguidedbyStephens’recurrent
themesofhomeandfamilyandtheattachment,connection,butalsothedetachment
experiencedthere;howweareaffectedbydeath,especiallyinthefamily;comingfull
circle/connectingthedotsinourlives;andtakingajourneyorakindofjourneyin
responsetotheeventsinourlives,amainonebeingadeathinthefamily.
OntheShoreoftheWide,WideWorldcontainsallofthesethemes.IntheIntroductionto
TheMethuenDramaBookofTwentiethCenturyBritishPlays,AlexSierzwritesthat“LikeOn
theShoreoftheWide,WideWorld,Stephens’HarperRegan(2008)shifteditsgazeonto
moremiddle‐classfamiliesandtheirfamiliaranguish”.Becauseofthat,becausethethemes
ofbothHarperandOntheShorealigntogetherandalsobecauseOntheShoreissetin
Stockport,Iaddedittothelibrary.
Christmashasalsobeenaddedtothelibrary.TheisolationanddespairHarperReganfaces
becauseofcircumstancesbeyondhercontrolareverymuchrepresentedinChristmas,
whichStephensdescribesinarecentinterviewonNov21,2014abouttheplay,whichwas
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enjoyingarevivalatWhiteBearTheatreatthetime.Theinterviewcanbefoundhere:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YASQTnsW6bI&spfreload=10
ChristmaswillalsobeofparticularinteresttoPatrickEdwards,whosecharacter,Mickey,
couldeasilybeadenizenofthebarwheretheplayisset,andisalsothesameageasBilly
LeeRussell,oneofthecharacters.
Intheinterview,StephenssaysChristmasisabout“fourmenwhoinverydifferentwaysare
isolatedandlostandwhoseliveshavekindofpassedthembyandgettingasensethattheir
livesaredisappearingandnotbeingabletoarticulatethesenseoflonelinessorfearthey
feelinthewakeofthisdisappearance.“
HecomparesChristmaswithTheCherryOrchard,anAntonChekovplay,Stephens’
translationofwhichopenedattheYoungVicinLondononOctober10,2014.Conceiving
theplayCherryOrchard,hesays,“reallydefinedmysenseofwhattheatrecanbe,what
playscanbe”.He“becamefascinatedbytherelationshipbetweentheRussianaristocracy
atthestartofthe20thcenturyandthewhiteworkingclassofBritainattheendofthe20th
century:twokindofculturalpocketsforreasonsoutsidetheircontrolwerebecoming
increasinglyredundantandpowerlessandlost.AndIwasfascinatedbythemelancholiaof
thatsenseofisolationanddespairandsotransposedalotofthedramaticengineofThe
CherryOrchardintothiskindofdecrepitboozeronthecuspofChristmasEve.”
Stephenswritesthathisearlyplays“couldbelooselydescribedasnaturalistic”,ashewrote
inhisintroductiontoSimonStephensPlays:1.Thisstyleoftheatreappliestomorethanhis
earlyworks,astheatrecriticandplaywrightDanRebellatoremarksinhisessay“Simon
Stephens”inModernBritishPlaywriting:2000‐2009:Voices,Documents,New
Interpretations.“Herons(2001),Port(2002),OneMinute(2003),CountryMusic(2004),and
HarperRegan(2008)aredomestic,somewhatnaturalisticdramas”,hewrites,“depicting
theeffectonordinarypeopleofviolence,scandal,andloss”.TheCherryOrchard,like
anotherofStephens’translations,Ibsen’sADoll’sHouse(2013),couldbeincludedinthat
description.BothplayshaveastrongwomanattheircoreasHarperRegandoes,andall
shareparallelthemes,soI’veaddedbothplaystothelibrary.Thoseofyouwhohaveseen
orreadotherinterpretationsofTheCherryOrchardandADoll’sHousemightrecognize
Stephens’uniquespin,howStephens,asAlexSierzwritesintheaforementionedThe
MethuenDramaBookofTwentiethCenturyBritishPlays,“looksatlife’sbrutallosersand
desperatevictimsbutalwayswithhope,honestyandhumour.Allofthemaretrapped,but
allmanagetorattlethebarsoftheircages”.
Medeadoesfarmorethanrattlehercage,bringingusbackaroundtoEuripides,amajor
influenceonStephenswhenhewroteHarperRegan.Medeaisbasedupontheancient
legendofJasonandMedea.Itportraysthesetraditional,mythicalcharacters–asEuripides’
playsdo–asordinarypeopleinextraordinarycircumstances.Medeacouldbecalledthe
ultimatedomesticdrama.BernardM.W.Knox,inTheCambridgeHistoryofClassical
Literature:Volume1,GreekLiterature,Part2,GreekDrama,identifiesEuripidesas“arealist
whobroughttragicactiondowntothelevelofeverydaylife”,callinghim"thecreator
of...thatcagewhichisthetheatreofShakespeare'sOthello,Racine'sPhèdre,ofIbsenand
Strindberg,"inwhich"...imprisonedmenandwomendestroyeachotherbytheintensityof
theirlovesandhates".ThesamecouldbesaidofthetheatreofSimonStephens.
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Medeadestroys,andthoughshesurvives,it’samostunhappyend.Ultimately,shenever
breaksfreeofherprison.HarperReganembarksuponajourneythatcouldeasilyleadto
self‐destruction,yetitbringshertoaplaceofunderstandingandacceptance–notjustof
herself,butofthosesheloves.Sheseesthecageshehaschosenwithanewlight,andopts
toreturntoit.
DespitethedifferencesintheoutcomesofMedeaandHarperRegan,anddespitethe
extremeofoneandthesimplicityoftheother,bothplaywrightsshareafocuson“theinner
livesandmotivesof[their]characters”,somethingbothMosesHadasandA.S.Owen
acknowledgeintheirrespectivewritingsaboutEuripides.Theyagreethatthisfocuswas
unknownbeforeEuripidesandthatitprofoundlyinfluencedfutureplaywrights.Stephens
isamongthem:HarperRegan’sinnerlife,inresponsetoherextraordinarycircumstances,
defineseverysyllablesheutters,everyactionshetakes.ThespecterofSeth’sdeedhovers
overeachofherdefenses,dodgesandreactions,includingthemost(seemingly)prosaic,as
wellasthoseshedoesn’tspeak.TheomnipresenceofHarper’sinnerlifeiswhatstruckme
themostwhenIreadtheplayforthesecondtime,bothforthedepthitgavethecharacter
andhowcarefullyStephenscraftedeachcircumstancetocolorHarper’ssometimesknee‐
jerkinnerresponses.AsIreadandrereadtheplay,thelyricstoSting’ssong,EveryBreath
YouTake,wereinmyheadforexactlythatreason.EverybreathHarpertook,everymove
shemade,everybondandvowshebroke,smileshefakedandclaimshestakedwere
motivatedbyherinnerturmoil,choices,andconstrictions–her“cage”–asaresultofwhat
Sethhaddone.
I’veaddedMedeatothelibrarybecauseoftheelementsthatitshareswithHarperRegan,
theinfluenceitclearlyhadontheplay,andbothplaywrights’mutualsympatheticattitude
towardswomen,whichforEuripides’timewasuniquein.
Portsistheseventhplayinthelibrary;otherpieceswrittenbyStephens,whichIwill
describelater,willcompletetheselection.I’veincludedPortsbecause,likeHarperRegan
and/orpartsofHarperRegan,1)ithasafemaleprotagonist;2)itissetinStockport;3)the
heroine,RachaelKeats,iscompelledto“escape”hersurroundingsasawayofrectifying
theireffect,peraremarkStephensmadeinaJuly2012interviewwithTheArtsDesk:“The
earlyprofessionalplays‐Herons,Christmas,Bluebird,Port–areabsolutelychargedwith
thecharacter’sdesiretofleeandtoleavehome”;and,4)howbothplays’mainfemale
character’srespectivechoicesareinformedbytheirclassstatus–workingclassforRachael
andmiddleclassforHarper.
Theremainingarticlesinthelibraryarenotplays,butwritingsbyStephens.Theyarehis
IntroductionstoSimonStephensPlays:1,Plays:2andPlays:3.
Anup‐to‐datelistofSimonStephensplays,includinginitialproductiondates,notesand
summaries,canbefoundhere:
www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsS/stephens‐simon.html#33264
IhopewhatI’vewrittenwillhelpyouinyourprocess,orattheveryleast,familiarizeyou
withaplaywrightI’vehadthesupremepleasuregettingtoknow.