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Cacophony

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  10w, 6m

Molly Taylor

There’s me ‘out there’, in public, and there’s me in here. I know you think they’re not the same. But they’re not as far away as you think.

Created by the Almeida Young Company and written by Molly Taylor, Cacophony tells the story of a young woman’s rise to fame after speaking up at a protest outside a controversial rape trial.

Cacophony

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    10w, 6m

Details

Summary

There’s me ‘out there’, in public, and there’s me in here. I know you think they’re not the same. But they’re not as far away as you think.

Created by the Almeida Young Company and written by Molly Taylor, Cacophony tells the story of a young woman’s rise to fame after speaking up at a protest outside a controversial rape trial.

Weaving a complex web of fame and shame, Cacophony explores the power social media has to liberate brave new voices and, just as quickly, bring them crashing to earth. Inspired by the ideas in Jon Ronson’s book, So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed.

“When public shamings are delivered like remotely administered drone strikes nobody need think about how ferocious our collective power might be. The snowflake never needs to feel responsible for the avalanche.” JON RONSON

History

Cacophony received its UK premiere at the Almeida Theatre from 26–28 July 2018, and transferred to the Yard Theatre from 19–22 February 2019, in a production directed by Michael Bryher.

ABI — A woman in her early 20s
COOKIE — Abi's friend and flatmate
TASH — Abi's friend and flatmate
TOLU — Abi's friend and flatmate
TOBIAS — Abi's friend and flatmate
WILL — Abi's friend and flatmate
STACEY — Abi's friend and flatmate
IGGY — Abi's friend and flatmate
SEB — Abi's boyfriend
JOANNA — Abi's sibling
DAISY — Abi's sibling
MO 1 — March organisers
MO 2 — March organisers
MO 3 — March organisers
ROSA — A woman in her 30s
PUBLICIST
PAPARAZZI
JOURNALIST
RADIO PRESENTER
HEADTEACHER
BYSTANDER
FAN
VOLUNTEER
RUM AND COKE
FATHER

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  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes

Media

“Molly Taylor’s very fine play demonstrates [...] there can still be a terrible cost and those caught in the fury of a social media backlash can sometimes be undeserving of its punishing effects.” — British Theatre Guide, Read more

“A clever play that explores the impact that social media can have on lives [...]” — Drama & Theatre

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Molly Taylor

Molly Taylor
Molly Taylor is a playwright and theatre-maker, based in London. She began making work when she was an Associate of the National Theatre of Scotland. Her first production, Love Letters to the Public Transport System, toured Scotland in 2012 and won the Critics Circle Awar ...
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