People, Places and Things

Duncan Macmillan is not the first dramatist to tackle addiction. What gives his new play exceptional vibrancy, though, is its decision to draw parallels between rehab and theatrical process, and to present the action from the addict’s point of view...a vivid tale * Guardian *
Generous-spirited, with a strong streak of irreverent, darkly humane humour, the play...has a thoughtful, shifting ambivalence that suits a problem where the solutions can only ever be provisional and the amends inadequate * Independent *
Macmillan doesn’t shy away from difficult questions about addiction and recovery and, rightly, doesn’t answer them. Is Emma messed up because of her past, the state of the world or the purposelessness of life? Or is she self-absorbed, self-pitying and deceitful? Is the spiritual aspect to Alcoholics Anonymous problematic? And, if it works, does that matter? He is plain about the hard grind of recovery, for everyone involved. And he touches on broader questions about the pros and cons of role-play — in theatre, in therapy and in life...this is a bold, timely and searching play * Financial Times *