Overview

Winner of a Scotsman Fringe First Award 2015 Spine charts the explosive friendship between a ferocious, wise-cracking teenager and an elderly East End widow. Mischievous activist pensioner Glenda is hell-bent on leaving a political legacy and saving Amy from the Tory scrapheap because ‘there's nothing more terrifying than a teenager with something to say’. In this era of damaging coalition cuts and disillusionment, has politics forgotten people? Can we really take the power back? Amy is about to be forced to find out.

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9781783191666

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Reviews

'Heartfelt and life-affirming' - Herald (on Spine as part of Theatre Uncut) 'This is a play - which isn't afraid to wear either its heart or its politics on its sleeve.' Four stars - Lyn Gardner, Guardian 'Brennan sets up a simple scenario: a young woman gets to know an elderly widow after thinking about renting a room from her. The room stays vacant, but the relationship blossoms over a mutual love of the old lady's haul of rescued library books. What emerges is a deeply humane celebration of community, tradition, and the imagination.' - Mark Fisher, Scotsman 'Stories are radical. It's an insight that...propels Clara Brennan's fiercely defiant monologue. Her play agitates via emotion, weaving together the personal and the political in the most heartbreaking, chest-thumping of ways.' Four stars - Catherine Love, What's on Stage 'An outstanding piece of writing demonstrating a unique authorial voice.' Five stars - Philip Fisher, British Theatre Guide 'If the script has a certain fairytale wish-fulfillment about it as Amy finds a better life for herself, it is based on such a vibrant celebration of language and female strength that you hardly notice.' Four stars - Thom Dibdin, Stage

'A sharp, witty, angry piece about the galvanising power of knowledge.' * Financial Times * Heartfelt and life-affirming * Herald (on Spine as part of Theatre Uncut) * This is a play - which isn't afraid to wear either its heart or its politics on its sleeve. * Four stars - Lyn Gardner, Guardian * Brennan sets up a simple scenario: a young woman gets to know an elderly widow after thinking about renting a room from her. The room stays vacant, but the relationship blossoms over a mutual love of the old lady's haul of rescued library books. What emerges is a deeply humane celebration of community, tradition, and the imagination. * Mark Fisher, Scotsman * Stories are radical. It's an insight that...propels Clara Brennan's fiercely defiant monologue. Her play agitates via emotion, weaving together the personal and the political in the most heartbreaking, chest-thumping of ways. * Four stars - Catherine Love, What's on Stage * An outstanding piece of writing demonstrating a unique authorial voice. * Five stars - Philip Fisher, British Theatre Guide * If the script has a certain fairytale wish-fulfillment about it as Amy finds a better life for herself, it is based on such a vibrant celebration of language and female strength that you hardly notice. * Four stars - Thom Dibdin, Stage *

Author Information

Clara Brennan is a playwright and TV drama writer. Bud Take The Wheel, I Feel A Song Coming On was Clara’s first full-length play. It previewed at The Shaw Theatre, London and ran at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Underbelly in August 2010. Her short plays include Rain as part of Lough/Rain at the Underbelly and Theatre Royal York, Portmanteau with the Miniaturists at the Arcola Theatre and Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter, and The Curator for One Night Stand at the Soho Theatre Studio. Clara is writer-in-residence at Reclaim Theatre, who are currently making Rain into a short film. Clara’s play Hi Vis was part of the Theatre Uncut season at the Southwark Playhouse in March 2011. Spine was part of Theatre Uncut 2012. Clara is currently adapting her play The Beserkers into a series for Channel 4.

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