Mark Ravenhill

Mark Ravenhill
Mark Ravenhill was born in Haywards Heath, West Sussex in 1966. He studied Drama and English at Bristol University. His first play Shopping and Fucking was produced by Out of Joint and the Royal Court Theatre in 1996. Subsequent plays include Faust Is Dead, Handbag, Some Explicit Polaroids, Mother Clap’s Molly House, Citizenship, Pool No Water, The Cut, Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat, Over There and The Cane. From 2012 to 2014, Mark was playwright in residence for the Royal Shakespeare Company, producing a new version of Brecht’s Galileo and a new play Candide inspired by Voltaire (both Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon). His new play Ben & Imo which explores the creative relationship between composers Benjamin Britten and Imogen Holst, opened at the Swan theatre in March 2024. Mark’s work in music theatre includes a new English version of Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea with additional material by Michael Nyman, Ten Plagues, a song cycle for Marc Almond with composer Connor Mitchell (Traverse Theatre) and Elysium with composer Rolf Wallin for the Norwegian National Opera. Mark wrote the book for a new musical The Boy In The Dress, adapted from the novel by David Walliams with songs by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers, which opened at the RSC in Stratford-Upon-Avon in November 2019.Perform Mark Ravenhill
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The Experiment
Mark Ravenhill
Short Play, DramaThe Experiment
Short Play, Drama / 1 any gender (adult)
If you could cure thousands of a fatal disease by experimenting on a single child, would you do it?
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Scenes From Family Life
Mark Ravenhill
Short Play, Dramatic ComedyScenes From Family Life
Short Play, Dramatic Comedy / 3w, 2m, 11 any gender (adult)
Scenes from Family Life is a charged and punchy play about relationships and the last two people left on earth. Lisa and Jack are teenagers, but they are about to become adults; Lisa is pregnant, and neither of them can wait for the baby to arrive and their lives to start. But then Lisa vanishes – into thin air.
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Some Explicit Polaroids
Mark Ravenhill
Full-Length Play, Dark ComedySome Explicit Polaroids
Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 2w, 4m
Sharp, satirical and pulsating with energy, Some Explicit Polaroids weaves an engaging urban fairytale for today.
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Handbag
Mark Ravenhill
Full-Length Play, Dark ComedyHandbag
Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 3w, 3m
"In Shopping and Fucking, Mark Ravenhill made theatre relevant to the Thatcher generation. Now he's put videos and Net-surfing in Faust. And it's no less stunning" (Guardian)
Shop Mark Ravenhill
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The Experiment
Mark Ravenhill
Short Play, DramaThe Experiment
Short Play, Drama / 1 any gender (adult)
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Scenes From Family Life
Mark Ravenhill
Short Play, Dramatic ComedyScenes From Family Life
Short Play, Dramatic Comedy / 3w, 2m, 11 any gender (adult)
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Some Explicit Polaroids
Mark Ravenhill
Full-Length Play, Dark ComedySome Explicit Polaroids
Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 2w, 4m
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Handbag
Mark Ravenhill
Full-Length Play, Dark ComedyHandbag
Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 3w, 3m