Six plays by W.A.Drew

“What one does in one’s art, that is the breath of one’s being.?What one does in one’s life is a bagatelle for the outsiders to fuss about.”? D.?H.?Lawrence?

With the exception of Aubrey, W.A.Drew's play about the artist Aubrey Beardsley, the other five plays in this publication were written between 2020 and 2022 during the first years of the Covid pandemic. They too centre on the lives of some extraordinary people – all “outsiders” in their way.?The true quality of the works of the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1899) was not appreciated in his lifetime. While the composer Dame Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) suffered a similar fate – her compositions being virtually ignored or patronised by the male establishment.?The actor Anthony Perkins (1932-1992) faced a different dilemma – the need to hide his true nature in a Hollywood where ‘image’?was?all.?While the talented rugby player Mark Bingham (1971-2001) hid his sexuality for two thirds of his short life and defied the stereotyping too easily applied to gay man through?both?his?sporting?prowess?and?his?final?act?of?courage.?Distressing though their ‘journeys’ often were, their achievements shine through as enduring?testimonies as to?what?can be achieved against appalling odds.?So-called “outsiders’ they might have been – but glorious ones.

This selection of??plays ends however on another note entirely.?Some Woman’s Child?consists of four monologues given by the mothers of some of Britain’s most notorious murderers – the Kray twins, Ian Brady, Peter Sutcliffe and Dennis Nilsen. Their stories about their ‘outsider’ sons are not easy listening but add a balance to this anthology. There exists darkness as well as light in this our world and occasionally that needs to be shown too. For better or for worse…

For further details about performance rights or information about the plays and author, please contact: [email protected] Or [email protected]