Orphans by Dennis Kelly
First presented by Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company and Traverse Theatre Company in association with Paines Plough at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh on 31 July 2009, Orphans tells the story of Helen and Liam, a sister and younger brother orphaned in childhood after a horrific fire, and the strong familial ties that bind them as a result of growing up alone and together in the ‘system’. With Helen now happily married to Danny, with a young son and another on the way, Liam arrives on their doorstep, covered in blood, frantically telling the story of a young lad he desperately, and futilely, tried to help when he discovered him, beaten and badly injured, on the street.
Helen and Danny try and understand and calm the frantic Liam, and piece together what happened and what they will do about it. Things get complicated when inconsistencies begin to appear in Liam’s story, by which point events have been set in motion that will have lasting impacts on all their lives.
Feedback/Comments
Truly powerful...both the story and performances had me riveted.
very well performed, interesting story that makes you think. Well worth seeing!
Excellent performance, highly recommended!
This play is a must see! It was both entertaining and interesting. In particular, the acting was of a very high quality.
Great play - extremely well written!
3 actors
Small set
A couch
A dining table
Superb acting. Very enjoyable!
intense,challenging play with range of emos.
Well written and acted, worth the trip
Excellent show! Great writing and really good acting. Thoroughly enjoyed the show. Made me think. Made me laugh. Made me feel. Highly recommend!!!
Good show, Really great acting, funny and dark!
Constantly evolving and interesting..well acted....an evening well spent
Powerful play with superb acting and direction
a real surprise, and what a shame there were not more people in the audience! Such a quality production deserves to be widely seen. Excellent script and acting, though very dark at times
Excellent acting, twist after twist. well worth seeing.
My guest and I really enjoyed this play. Very well acted, and with one twist after another, it kept us thoroughly entertained. Definitely recommend seeing.
A powerful and at times harrowing performance with the tension skillfully interwoven with humour.
Great show , brilliant acting,definitely worth seeing.
Challenging, extremely well performed, great script, well worth seeing
Really loved this play, it was dark & thought provoking. Great acting too.