A playwright known for dazzling structural inventiveness combined with emotional intelligence and wit, James Fritz is a unique voice in British theatre. His work, reflected in these six plays covering the first decade of his career, confronts the fault lines in our culture with thrilling imagination, an unflinching moral seriousness and a warm, compassionate sense of humour.
Four Minutes Twelve Seconds (Hampstead Theatre, 2014; Trafalgar Studios, 2015; winner of the Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright) is a ‘morally terrifying drama’ (Evening Standard) that unpicks the trust between parents and their teenage offspring in an age of selfies and sexting.
Ross & Rachel (Edinburgh Fringe, 2015; Off-Broadway, 2016) is a ‘dialogue for one’ that takes an incisive look at the myths of modern love. ‘Shockingly good… a virtuosic piece of writing, playful, post-modern and devastatingly serious, all at once’ Time Out
Parliament Square (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, and Bush Theatre, London, 2017; winner of the Judges’ Award, Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting) is a searingly powerful exploration of what one individual can do to effect change. ‘There are few playwrights working in Britain today whose work is as slick and unsettling as James Fritz’s’ Exeunt
Lava (Nottingham Playhouse/Fifth Word, 2018; revived 2022) is a funny, tender and moving story about friendship and reconnection in the aftermath of catastrophe. ‘Compassionate, warm and funny… Fritz’s plays find reservoirs of humour in places you wouldn’t expect’ The Stage
Skyscraper Lullaby (Audible Original, 2022) is a powerful drama, first written as an audio play, about two parents trying to come to terms with the disappearance of their toddler, a haunting examination of the ways we cope with tragedy, complicity and remorse.
Also included is a previously unpublished short play, twins (Arcola Theatre, 2015), as well as a playful and illuminating introduction written by the author.
