The Landlord
A script-in-hand reading of a new play by Penelope Skinner.
“I become aware of all the other trees in the wood who feel the same, and the birds, and the insects and well nature I suppose and how much love there is. And I don’t mean for mankind in general. I mean specifically for me: the hungover guy in his pants.”
Following the death of their mother, siblings Gavin, Hazel and Ellen return to her home, a crumbling cottage on the edge of the forest, which their brother Jack is very happily tenanting.
As landlord, Gavin’s plans for the property threaten to ruin the idyllic life Jack has found for himself.
Set over the course of one fateful family reunion, Penelope Skinner’s play is a beautifully personal and political exploration of love and loss in all its forms.
The reading of The Landlord will be followed by a Q&A with Penelope Skinner.
Contains themes of alcoholism, suicide, death and grief.
Penelope Skinner
Penelope Skinner’s theatre credits include Lyonesse (Harold Pinter Theatre), The Village Bike (Royal Court Theatre and MCC, New York), Linda (Royal Court Theatre and Manhattan Theatre Club), Fred’s Diner (Chichester Festival Theatre and Magic Theatre San Francisco), Angry Alan (Underbelly at Edinburgh Fringe/Soho Theatre, and Studio Seaview in New York), The Ruins Of Civilisation (Manhattan Theatre Club), and Eigengrau (Bush Theatre). Her television credits include the original television series, co-written and created with her sister Ginny Skinner, The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies (BBC/Sister Pictures) and she was also one of the writers on all four seasons of Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain’s Channel 4 series Fresh Meat. Her other screen credits include the screenplay for Kevin Macdonald’s film How I Live Now. She is currently working on a new series for Sky television with A24.
Abigail Graham
Forthcoming theatre includes Living (Sheffield Crucible).
Other theatre includes Macbeth and The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare’s Globe); Aladdin (Lyric Hammersmith); MUM (Plymouth Drum/Soho Theatre); The Tyler Sisters (Hampstead THeatre); 31 Hours (The Bunker); Death of a Salesman (Royal & Derngate and UK tour); And Now: The World! (OpenWorks and UK tour); Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made (Assembly Rooms); Debris (OpenWorks/Southwark Playhouse); and Molly Sweeney (Print Room/Lyric Belfast).