This week saw a selection of plays become available rights–free in Theatre Uncut's Mass Participation event for 2015.
Until 6 December, the chosen works by some of the UK’s leading playwrights alongside writers from Egypt, Greece and the USA can be performed by anyone who would like to perform them.
Theatre Uncut began as a response to cuts to public services announced in the 2011; since then each year texts have been made available rights–free.
More than 6,000 people in 26 countries have taken part with work by writers such as Mark Ravenhill, David Greig, Clara Brennan and Anders Lustgarten.
Speaking about the release of plays, Theatre Uncut Artistic Director Hannah Price said, “So much has changed over the last 4 years, and yet so much has stayed the same. 4 years after Theatre Uncut began, we are facing yet another round of cuts, and asking ourselves fundamental questions about how our society works.
"Before we announce our next big project, and as we negotiate the first full year of the Conservative government, we felt it was time to look back at all the incredible writing we've been lucky enough to work with, and take stock of the crucial issues we have been exploring.
"Here we present some of our best loved and most downloaded pieces for anyone to download and perform anywhere.”
The plays in Theatre Uncut's Mass Participation event for 2015 are:
- Things That Make No Sense by Dennis Kelly (2011, The Cuts)
- Hi Vis by Clara Brennan
- Fragile by David Greig
- A Bigger Banner by Mark Ravenhill
- Blondie by Hayley Squires (International Perspectives 2012)
- The Price by Lena Kitsopoulou (International Perspectives 2012 - Greece)
- In The Beginning by Neil LaBute (International Perspectives 2012 - USA)
- Capitalism is Crisis by Tim Price (Rise of the Right, 2013)
- Church Forced to Put Up Gates by Mark Thomas (Rise of the Right, 2013)
- Close by Kieran Hurley (Scottish Independence Plays, 2013)
- The Recipe by Rachel Chavkin (Rise of the Right, 2013)
- The Most Horrific by Vivienne Franzmann (Knowledge is Power, Knowledge is Change 2014)
- The Finger of God by Anders Lustgarten (Knowledge is Power, Knowledge is Change 2014)
- Smoke and Mirrors by Stef Smith (Theatre Uncut Istanbul, Politics, Power and Gezi Park, 2014)
- Apathy by Chris Goode (Election Inspiration, 2015)