A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

A Prayer

Short Play  /  1any gender (adult)

A PRAYER is a story of a meeting between M, an atheist, and God.

M lives in a world of reason and science and facts and probability and cause and consequence. M always did. One day, out of nowhere, God appears. M is not sure what to do, so she starts by saying: hello?

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1any gender (adult)

Details

Summary
Over the next hour, M and God get to know each other, and will jointly try and find answers to some large and small questions.

The original production of A Prayer was first co-commissioned and produced by Oran Mor as part of its A Play, A Pie and A Pint spring season 2010.  The project was further developed at Northern Stage, Newcastle after winning the Title Pending Award, the award for the most innovative, thoughtful and intriguing proposal for a new piece of theatre. Published with Gods Are Fallen And All Safety Gone.
A PRAYER is a one person show, for a performer of any gender, age or race. M is played by a performer, and God is played by the audience.

Media

THE SCOTSMAN
by Joyce McMillan

Dimitrijevic is a formidably thoughtful and talented writer; and if it’s possible to shape such a tiny meditative fragment into a worthwhile piece of theatre, then that’s what she has achieved, with this strange theatrical act of prayer.


THE GUARDIAN
by Lyn Gardner, 5 June 2011 (Northern Stage, Newcastle)
A Prayer, told with charm by Scott Turnbull, touchingly puts its faith in the audience to set aside reason and just believe”.


THE SKINNY
by Gareth K Vile, Thu 08 Apr 2010

Selma Dimitrijevic is a rare living playwright who doesn’t make me want to tear my ears off and throw them at the stage. In Sandy Grierson, she has an actor who knows enough about physical theatre not to look like he is beating time between the words. Clocking in at around half an hour, A Prayer satisfies both my secular and spiritual desires, capturing the complexity of a plea to God in an awkward, authentic, symbolic monologue.

Grierson’s M is a man in crisis. Lacking the strength to go on, he prays to a God he doesn’t like much, or even acknowledge. When God turns up – played with reticence by the audience – M argues, begs and finally triumphs. For a play by an avowed atheist, it is a compelling picture of a life dependent on faith, and the difficult process of prayer itself.

Being short, it is focused. Dimitrijevic knows when to let the words stop and the body take over. There is precision in the direction and an abstract universality in the setting. The company, Greyscale, are heroic in using the A Play, A Pie and A Pint format to explore both difficult territory and experimental staging.

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £30 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

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Scripts

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Authors

Selma Dimitrijevic

Selma is Greyscale Theatre Company’s Artistic Director. Theatre credits include: Dr. Frankenstein (Greyscale/Northern Stage); A Prayer (Greyscale/NorthernStage); Night Time (Traverse Theatre); Broken (Oran Mor); Game Theory (ek/Traverse Theatre); Re:Union (7:84); Harmless ...
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