Preview: Flight Path, Bush Theatre, London
The upward trajectory of a youthful star
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.This new play by 22-year-old David Watson is about a year in the life of a rebellious 18-year-old, Jonathan. His father has walked out, and his older brother, who has Down's syndrome, has returned, forcing Jonathan into a parental role. It is the second play for Watson, who was 17 when his debut, Just a Bloke, about the love between two brothers and a cousin, featured as part of the Royal Court Young Writers Festival in 2002.
"I was never good enough to be an actor, so I decided I was interested in writing plays," says Watson. "I used to watch my first play performed every night. There is nothing like seeing good actors bring it to life. It becomes its own beast. It's exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure."
Watson's career as a playwright first began at 14, while attending a young writers' workshop at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. "For many young playwrights it can seem like a never-ending cycle of staged readings. It never gets to the point of getting your work produced. I was very lucky that the Royal Court picked up on Just a Bloke. It was the third play that I had written at the Birmingham Rep's young writer's project while I was still at school."
Flight Path, directed by Naomi Jones, is a co-production of the Bush Theatre and Out of Joint, and will tour the UK. Watson is working on a new play, commissioned by the Birmingham Rep, about a young teenage girl growing up in the semi-rural community around Birmingham.
"I spend a lot of time thinking," says Watson, who lives in north London. "I have scraps of dialogue all over notebooks. Then I can actually knock out a first draft in a few weeks. It's just the material that has been brewing for some time."
He is inspired by the work of Harold Pinter, Conor McPherson and David Mamet. "It's their style of heightened realist dialogue that appeals to me," says Watson. "When I first saw Pinter's The Caretaker, I could barely sleep that night because it was so perfect."
To 6 October, then touring to 10 November (www.outofjoint.co.uk; 020-7610 4224)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments