NT Connections - Deptford Green School presents Brain Play

When Mia’s dad suffers a traumatic brain injury and struggles to leave the house, she makes it her mission to find the cure for his symptoms. Delving deeper and deeper into the world of neuroscience, Mia is desperate to make him better, but first she must contend with her own brain. 

Cast size: ten named speaking characters (five of which are voiced puppets), plus an ensemble 

Suggested age suitability: 13+

Content warnings:

Strong language (you are welcome to remove any swear words if preferred)

Discussion of brain injury and the associate affects.

Discussion of anxiety, PTSD, obsessive compulsive disorder and mental health

References to blood

Discussion of hearing loss

References to agoraphobia

At one point a character says “take him out and shoot him”, in jest

Paul Sirett is an award-winning, Olivier-nominated playwright, dramaturg, and musician. Paul has written over 25 stage plays and musicals which have been produced in the UK and around the world. 11 of these were first produced at Theatre Royal Stratford East, mostnotably THE BIG LIFE (Stratford East & West End). Other notable productions include RATPACK CONFIDENTIAL (Nottingham Playhouse & West End); and REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL (Graeae). Paul has also won awards for his radio plays and has worked extensively as a dramaturg for companies including: the Royal Shakespeare Company, Soho Theatre, the Royal Court, National Theatre, and West End & Broadway producers. Paul’s book, The Playwright’s Manifesto, was published by Bloomsbury/Methuen in 2022. Paul has also toured and recordedextensively as a guitarist.

Chloë Lawrence-Taylor is a playwright from Oxfordshire. She is on attachment at the National Theatre Studio and is a member of the Royal Court Theatre’s Long-Form Playwriting Group having previously taken part in their Intro Group (2022/2023). She has been commissioned by Women & Theatre (Birmingham) and has worked with Clean Break Theatre Company as a Lead Artist. She is an alumnus of the Royal Court Theatre, the North Wall’s Catalyst Residency, the Old Fire Station, Broken Silence Theatre, and Pentabus’ National Young Writer’s Programme. Chloë’s play When the Head Became a Cage, The Heart Took Flight was longlisted for the RSC’s 37Plays in 2023 while her play True Cry was longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize in 2022. Her plays have been performed at Camden People’s Theatre (If We Ended This, 2021) and the North Wall (Hereafter, 2018) and read at RADA (When the Head Became a Cage, The Heart Took Flight, 2023)