the Continental European Premiere in English
written by Maureen O'Brien
directed by Martin Buxbaum
with Khafila Abiola (Judith), Danny Scott (Alex)
Assistant Director: Agnes Kitzler
Stage Managers: Agnes Kitzler, Anita Wolfartsberger, Georg Drennig
Sound & Lighting: Heike Wiesner, Robby Vamos
Costumes & Set Design: vtp team
Props: Sarah Hayes
Teacher Materials: Margit Atzler
Facts
January 12-24, 2004
Mon - Sat, 7.30 p.m.
Ensemble Theater
Petersplatz 1, 1010 Vienna
About the play
Judith is in prison, on remand, accused of killing her mother. From the moment the police came to question her she has not spoken. Alex, a child psychiatrist with experience of mutism, is called in as a last resort to make a psychiatric assessment. He battles against her silence until at last he breaks the dam. This woman speaks directly to another human being for perhaps the first time in her life. A relationship is forged, and an extraordinary story is revealed.
The Cutting (Bush Theatre) was nominated Best Play (London Fringe Awards) and Best Newcomer (Evening Standard Drama Awards).
"A gem of inner discovery... gripping theatre... uncompromisingly intelligent and unsentimentally moving" (Mark Douet, London Theatre Record)
About the author
Maureen O’Brien is an actress and writer. She was born in Liverpool, trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and was a founder member of the Liverpool Everyman Theatre. She continues enjoying a thriving career as an actor on prestigious stages and on screen.
Maureen O'Brien is the author of six crime novels, Close-up on Death, Deadly Reflection, which she has also adapted to a screenplay, Mask of Betrayal, Dead Inncocent, Revenge, and Unauthorised Departure, all featuring Detective Inspector John Bright.
In the theatre, Maureen is the author of The Cutting, first performed at the Bush Theatre in London in 1992, starring Sian Thomas and Paul Freeman and subsequently performed several times around Europe.
Teachers
Teacher Material for all vienna theatre project productions is available in PDF format to download from this website. Please visit our Education section to find the required documents which are available free of charge.The material available includes background information about the author, the play, main themes, characters, reading suggestions, possible teaching objectives, dialogues for discussion, assignments and vocabulary (English-German).
For further enquiries please contact education@viennatheatreproject.at