Martin Crimp

Alceste abhors hypocrisy and the well-rehearsed, sycophantic pleasantries of the chattering classes. But having savaged Covington - a theatre critic who thinks he can write plays - Alceste goes on to attack Jennifer, the woman he really loves. What if his determination to tell the truth proves more destructive than their instinct to avoid it? Moliere's greatest comedy, Le Misanthrope (1666), with its fierce argument between conformity and non-conformity, is reworked in this blistering, contemporary version by Martin Crimp.

"A young estate agent, Clair, tries to sell a suburban house to James, a distinguished and disarming cash buyer. At first debonair, James becomes increasingly sinister, prying his way into Clair's private life. She is soon drawn to him. By the end James is in her flat, talking to Clair's mother on the phone. He tells her that Clair is taking a shower. But it becomes clear she is not, and just as the play's title promises, James has dealt with Clair for good."--Samuelfrench.com.

Contains plays, short biographies, and interviews with the authors.