Cloud 9
by Caryl Churchill

Name: Cloud 9
Brand: Caryl Churchill
SKU: 9780573618741
Rating: 3.6 (111 reviews)

Highlights

Female

Male

120 mins Present Day Reduced Casting (Doubling Possible) Unit Set/Multiple Settings Period Costumes Comedy

Awards & Recognition

Obie Award

Winner! 1981 Obie Award for Playwriting

Synopsis

This time-shifting comedy by the author of Top Girls created a sensation in its off-Broadway premiere, directed by Tommy Tune.

A hilarious and scathing parody of colonialism and the Victorian Empire, particularly in its rigid attitude toward sex, Cloud 9 explodes conventions and challenges its audience with humor and wit.

There is Clive, a British functionary; his wife Betty (played by a man); their daughter Victoria (a rag doll); Clive’s friend Harry, an explorer; Mrs. Saunders, who runs about dressed in a riding habit; Clive’s son Edward, who still plays with dolls (and is played by a woman); and Joshua, an African servant who knows exactly what is really going on.

What really is going on is a marvelous sendup and a non-stop round-robin of sexual liaisons.

The second act shifts to London in 1980.

Though a century has passed, the surviving characters have only aged 25 years.

Now played by different actors, the characters have lost their repressed sexual longings, along with the Empire.

Press Reviews

"I really don't know when I've had more fun. It blends farce, pathos into a work of total theatre."
— New York Daily News

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Act I	—	—	—
CLIVE a colonial administrator	—	—	a colonial administrator
BETTY his wife, played by a man	female	—	his wife, played by a man
JOSHUA his black servant, played by a white	—	—	his black servant, played by a white
EDWARD his son, played by a woman	female	—	his son, played by a woman
VICTORIA his daughter, a dummy	female	—	his daughter, a dummy
MAUD his mother-in-law	female	—	his mother-in-law
ELLEN Edward's governess	—	—	Edward's governess
HARRY BAGLEY an explorer	—	—	an explorer
MRS. SAUNDERS a widow (played by the same actress who plays Ellen)	female	—	a widow (played by the same actress who plays Ellen)
Act II	—	—	—
BETTY now played by a woman (normally the same actress who plays Edward)	female	—	now played by a woman (normally the same actress who plays Edward)
EDWARD her son, now played by a man (normally the same actor who plays Betty)	male	—	her son, now played by a man (normally the same actor who plays Betty)
VICTORIA her daughter (normally played by the same actress who plays Maud)	female	—	her daughter (normally played by the same actress who plays Maud)
MARTIN (Victoria's husband) Victoria's husband (normally played by the same actor who plays Harry)	male	—	Victoria's husband (normally played by the same actor who plays Harry)
LIN a lesbian single mother (normally played by the same actress who plays Ellen/Mrs. Saunders)	female	—	a lesbian single mother (normally played by the same actress who plays Ellen/Mrs. Saunders)
CATHY (Lin's daughter) Lin's daughter, age 5, played by a man (normally the same actor who plays Clive)	female	—	Lin's daughter, age 5, played by a man (normally the same actor who plays Clive)
GERRY (Edward's lover) Edward's lover (normally played by the same actor who plays Joshua)	male	—	Edward's lover (normally played by the same actor who plays Joshua)