That Face
by Polly Stenham

That Face Book Cover
That Face Cover

Awards & Recognition

Evening Standard Award Olivier Award

Winner! 2007 Evening Standard Most Promising Playwright Award Nominee: 2009 Olivier Award for Best New Play

Synopsis

Written when Polly Stenham was nineteen years old, That Face is a savagely funny dissection of the lives of the rich, reissued in Faber Drama''s elegant new series design.

You’re shaking.

It’s too much, isn’t it?

You only like good clean torture.

Mia is at boarding school.

She has access to drugs.

They are Martha’s.

Henry is preparing for art college.

He has access to alcohol.

From Martha.

Martha controls their lives.

Martha is their mother.

That Face premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, 2007, winning the TMA Award for Best New Play.

Polly Stenham won the Charles Wintour Award and the Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright.

''One of the most astonishing debuts I have seen in more than thirty years.'' DAILY TELEGRAPH

''Polly Stenham is a modern successor to Tennessee Williams or Edward Albee .

.

.

an intensely moving, skilfully crafted piece.'' DAILY EXPRESS

''Stenham’s god-given gift is an ability to communicate pain and longing.'' GUARDIAN

Press Reviews

"One of the most astonishing debuts I have seen in more than 30 years"

— Daily Telegraph

"Her 90-minute play has a quality of emotional desperation one more often associates with mature American dramatists like Tennessee Williams and Edward Albee than with cool young Brits."

— Guardian

"...this intensely moving, skilfully crafted piece...Stenham isn't just promising. She has already delivered on it, and she would deserve the acclaim even if she were twice her age."

— Daily Express

"The startling paradox of That Face, however, is that there is so much vigour in the writing, so much passion in the playing, that one leaves the theatre feeling strangely exhilarated."

— Daily Telegraph

"The play jumps straight into the deep end of the pool. Enter at your own risk."

— New York Post

Publication

Publisher Faber & Faber
Year 2008
Binding Paperback
Edition Main - Re-issue
Pages 96
Language English
ISBN-13 9780571244218
ISBN-10 0571244211
eISBN-13 9780571319084

That Face is a British play written by Polly Stenham and published by Faber & Faber (2008).

Digital editions available on Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Google Play (eISBN 9780571319084).

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