''Five Kinds of Silence'' is an

in-yer-face theatre In-yer-face theatre is a term used to describe a confrontational style and sensibility of drama that emerged in Great Britain in the 1990s. This term was borrowed by British theatre critic Aleks Sierz as the title of his book, ''In-Yer-Face Theat ...

play by the playwright

Shelagh Stephenson Shelagh Stephenson is an English playwright and actress. Background and education Stephenson was born in Tynemouth, Northumberland in 1955. She read drama at Manchester University. Career Acting Stephenson worked as an actress with the Royal S ...

, first published in 1997. It tells the story of a family living under the power of the vicious Billy, who physically, emotionally, and sexually abuses his wife, Mary, and children; Susan and Janet. The stage play is adapted from the radio production of the same name. The stage version of the play was first performed at the

Lyric Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London.

, London, on 31 May 2000, starring Lizzy McInnery,

Gina McKee Georgina "Gina" McKee (born 14 April 1964) is an English actress. She won the 1997 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for '' Our Friends in the North'' (1996), and earned subsequent nominations for '' The Lost Prince'' (2003) and '' The Street'' ...

Tim Pigott-Smith Timothy Peter Pigott-Smith, (13 May 1946 – 7 April 2017) was an English film and television actor and author. He was best known for his leading role as Ronald Merrick in the television drama series '' The Jewel in the Crown'', for which he wo ...

, Linda Bassett, Dione Inman and

Gary Whitaker Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name *Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary Places ;Iran *Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;Unit ...

.Review: ''Five Kinds of Silence''
, ''The British Theatre Guide'' The play won the 1996 UK Writers Guild's Best Original Play award and the 1997

Sony Award The Radio Academy Awards, started in 1983, were the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. For most of their existence, they were run by ZAFER Associates, but in latter years were brought under the control of The Radio Academy ...

for Best Original Drama.Five Kinds of Silence by Shelagh Stephenson
ABC Radio National, 30 October 2011

Plot

Major themes in the play are control and how the family is bonded by abuse. Throughout the play we learn from the three women that Billy had created a strange, warped world for them to be confined in from inside his damaged mind. The story of abuse that Billy's family endured unfolds from interviews with police officials and psychologists with Mary, Susan and Janet. Billy himself was abused when he was a child; Mary was abused by her father after the death of her mother. After so many years the two daughters shoot their father during an epileptic seizure. The play is coordinated to bring out Billy's passively sinister presence, and although he is not physically there, he is present in their memories. His abuse to these women has been so horrific that they shoot him twice to make sure he is dead. The play also explores ideas of abuse being continued from childhood, how abused children may in the future abuse their own children and isolation from the outside world. This theory relates to John Bowlby's Continuity hypothesis theory. How the relationship an infant has with its parent or parents shapes future ideas about relationships and future behaviour towards relationships.

Productions

*2013,

Lace Market Theatre The Lace Market Theatre is a small, independent amateur theatre in Nottingham, England. It is owned and operated by The Lace Market Theatre Trust Ltd, which is a registered charity. History Origins: 1920s to 1951 The Lace Market Theatre develop ...

, Nottingham, United Kingdom (29 May – 1 June) **Fraser Wanless (Billy) **Emma Nash (Mary) **Lisamarie Court (Janet) **Tilda Stickley (Susan) **Lyndon Sheppard (Detective) **Bex Mason (Lawyer) *2019,

Derby Theatre Derby Theatre is a theatre situated in Derby, England, located within the Derbion shopping centre. Formerly known as the Derby Playhouse, it was owned and run by Derby Playhouse Ltd from its opening in 1975 until 2008, when the company ceased o ...

Studio, Derby, United Kingdom (10 May – 11 May)

University of Derby , mottoeng = Experience is the best teacher , established = 1851 – Teacher Training College1992 – gained university status , type = Public , chancellor = William Cavendish, Ea ...

student production
Derby Theatre production web page **George Binns (Billy) **Charlie Ayers (Mary) **Ellie Williams (Janet) **Hannah Arnott (Susan) **Rhiannon Fitzpatrick (Detective) **Lauren Asman (Lawyer) **Kira Barnett (Psychiatrist)

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Five Kinds Of Silence British plays Theatre in the United Kingdom