A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

If There is I Haven't Found it Yet

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  2w, 2m

Surviving school as a fat kid is tough enough. When your mum’s a teacher, it’s hell. A sharp and hilarious story of a family trying to save everyone but themselves.

If There is I Haven't Found it Yet

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    75 Minutes
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! 2009 George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright

Details

Summary

Surviving school as a fat kid is tough enough. When your mum’s a teacher, it’s hell. What's more, Anna’s dad is obsessed with saving the world and her maverick uncle Terry is dossing on the couch. When Anna hits back at the bullies, she suspended from school and stuck at home with hapless Terry trying to save her. But Terry needs saving himself and, as the bond between the two deepens, Anna is swept up in a friendship she can’t live without. 

This story of a family trying to save everyone but themselves is a sharp and hilarious consideration about whether it’s best to act on a macro-level or micro-level toward climate issues.

History

If There is I Haven’t Found It Yet first premiered in London at the Bush Theatre in October 2009. It later opened in New York City at Roundabout Theatre as produced by the Bush Theatre on 20 September 2012. Directed by Michael Longhurst, the production featured Annie Funke, Michelle Gomez, Jake Gyllenhaal and Brían F. O’Byrne.

GEORGE – Male, 40s, Anna’s father
FIONA – Female, 40s, Anna’s mother
ANNA – Female, 15, considerably overweight
TERRY – Male, 20s, Anna’s uncle

  • Time Period New Millennium/21st Century
  • Setting

    Various locations, including home and school. 2010s.

  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features No Intermission
  • Duration 75 Minutes
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol
    • Strong Language
    • Smoking

Media

“A lovely, shrewd new play.” – The Independent

“[A] messy, fumbling and huggable comedy about a messy, fumbling and huggable family.” – The Guardian

“There are scenes of great, well-observed unflinching painfulness.” – The Independent

“The play... is about people groping their way forward even as the sky falls.” – The Guardian

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

Playwright Interview: Nick Payne
by Cathy Thomas
13 August 2019

Videos

  • If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet – Roundabout Theatre Company Highlights youtube thumbnail

    If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet – Roundabout Theatre Company Highlights

  • If There is I Haven’t Found it Yet – About the Show youtube thumbnail

    If There is I Haven’t Found it Yet – About the Show

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

    Please submit a license request to determine availability.

Scripts

Available Formats:

Authors

Nick Payne

Nick Payne’s plays include If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet (Bush Theatre and Roundabout Theatre Company, New York), Wanderlust (Royal Court Theatre), Sophocles’ Electra (Gate Theatre), One Day When We Were Young (Paines Plough/Sheffield Theatres and Shoreditch Town Hall), ...

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