random

by debbie tucker green

A powerful new play about a random shooting of a black kid outside his school. A young black woman starts talking about her day in a continuous present tense. She and her family are starting what they think is an ordinary day until the police show up with devastating news. Their world suddenly implodes.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Fiction, Drama, School, Read For School, Contemporary

96 pages, Paperback

First published March 13, 2008

Reviews

[Aisling]

read this for my module on Contemporary British Theatre. It was only 64 pages but was incredible and extremely topical. Highly, highly recommend.

[Alexa]

I just finished reading Debbie Tucker Green's Random for my recent British drama class. I started this play with the dreaded expectation. My expectation was that the play would suck. I've read two of Debbie Tucker Green's plays prior to this one and I really didn't like them, so I thought Random would be the same.

I didn't like the play until a few pages before the first act ended. At the end of act one, we learn that (spoiler alert) the brother has died. He's been killed by a gang and when the father and sister go to confirm that it is him, they see that an eye is missing and a chunk of his flesh has been torn off. While I'm not a fan of this morbidity, I liked this because the writing and voices seemed more passionate. Maybe it was just that I can relate. Not that I know anyone who has been murdered, but I have lost family in the last two days. The second act continued with the same passion and relatability (that's now officially a word).

At the end of the play, the sister goes into her brother's room and describes the typical disarray that it is in. Despite the fact that the room smells bad, she breathes it in, remembering her brother. She treats her brother's room as he would if he were still alive, although she explains she wouldn't even think about going in if he were still around.

I think the fact that I read this right after the death of someone so close to me made this play much more personal. I feel almost bad for saying this, but I think if I hadn't lost someone recently, I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. I think the story was beautiful, tragic, and touching. The writing is somewhat difficult to get through (it's written in dialect), but it's definitely worth it for the story.

[Ellie ☕]

This was brutal; raw and real and visceral in the sense that it managed to subtly and in so few words portray the humanity in these people so intensely, it felt like I was reading about people I know. A few pages in and I didn't need character names to tell who was speaking when. I broke down crying, at the end. Needless to say, highly recommended.

[abril ☀️]

it's been a bit since i've read poetry even though it is the object of all my desires so this was perfect. the language is beautiful, the story is devastating, the musicality of the speech is amazing. i don't think i could see this on stage and not cry my eyes out.

[nai]

I think the way it is written makes it even more impactful

[Joel Wall]

really touching and beautifully written

[Sahand]

3.5

[sílvia]

me siento asquerosamente privilegiada

[Fanny]

Στο θεατρικό της μαύρης Αγγλίδας θεατρικής συγγραφέως και περφόρμερ debbie tucker green “Random”, ένα μαύρο νέο παιδί, μαθητής ακόμα, σκοτώνεται υπό αδιευκρίνιστες συνθήκες. Το θεατρικό δε μένει στα αίτια του χαμού, εάν οφείλεται σε ατύχημα, συμμοριακές αντιπαραθέσεις, ή στην αστυνομική καταστολή. Εστιάζει όμως στην αντιμετώπιση του θανάτου του από τα μίντια, στην μεγάλη προκατάληψη και την μετέπειτα παραβιαστική συμπεριφορά της Αστυνομίας, που σκαλίζει επίπονα το τραύμα της οικογένειας. Λιτό, σύντομο, συγκινητικό, θαυμάσια επιλογή, που δυστυχώς δε θα δούμε ποτέ σε κάποια ελληνική παραγωγή, αλλά αξίζει να διαβάσουμε, έστω σαν slam poetry.

[lucy snow]

this is incredible.

i am desperate to see how this was staged when it was performed. i would love to hear it spoken aloud.

the stand out moment for me is every member of the family noticing that the police walked into the living room still wearing their boots. sister can't keep her eyes off them. as if her mind is fighting to cling to a sense of normality, to prevent the news from coming.

the shrine, "Black on Black love", was beautiful. so was the scene where sister sits in her brother's room and just looks around slowly, taking everything in.

"Random don't happen to everybody.
So.
How come
‘random’ haveta happen to him?"

[Aleigha]

Far more interested in seeing this than reading it. Seeing it would probably be far more powerful, but reading it felt stagnant beyond what it does thematically. I imagine my heart would be on the floor flopping around like a wet fish hearing this aloud. Unfortunately, my heart stayed put whilst reading.

[Lorna Fowler]

Short but impactful. Covers such a hard topic in a great way. Unfortunately, the events that take place still happen in todays world.

I really liked the writing style. Being able to hear how the characters would talk if it was said out loud. Don’t normally find plays easy to read due to losing focus of the characters but this one was so definitely added to the enjoyment.

[Santiago Guerra Arrangóiz]

3.5/5
The prose, concept and dialogue are interesting, but it feels vague and needs a bigger sense of momentum to completely immerse you. Regardless of that, I found it to be a creative, engaging exercise in prose, time constrictions and performance, specially when only dialogue’s needed to portray this.

[Salli]

I think it is wonderful piece for the actor. I liked the language, the insight into people's thoughts but did not feel there was enough to sustain the play, that there was more to say. Certainly assured as the blurb says but more beautiful honest reportage than dramatic narrative drive.

[laura]

Very needed, very real. I like the fact that it's not about the death itself, but about the aftermath: how it affects a family. It's short, but long enough for its purpose. I liked it. (I read it for my Contemporary Theatre class in uni).

[jayne tursich]

the dialogue can be a bit hard to follow, but over all the message remains the same. it definitely ripped my heart in less than 70 pages

[Jana]

i didn't cry, you did

[Noha]

Crushing.

[Stefania]

3.5

[Red]

Amazing and extremely touching play, that rebuffs prejudices and debunks racism. Great read!

[Grace]

4/5 stars.

No strong opinions about this one. It was just verby goob. I just didn't love it.

[Kate]

Emotional and hard hitting play. It reflects the times we live in.

Would definitely like to see this performed.

[Diana]

Awful.

[Alice]

lightly slayed

[Hannah Ruth]

Oh my God. This is astonishing and devastating. I properly sobbed reading the second half. The scene where she described her brother's room undid me. Wow.

[Ruth Mestel]

Heartbreaking stream of consciousness

[denise]

i hate uni all the time but i hate it even more when they make me read stuff like this.

[Gligorije Josimov]

Short, but powerful

[ellie ♡]

this made me cry on the train

[mary lion]

Podem parar amb els ulls SIUSPLAU?!?!? El tercer llibre aquest curs relacionat amb pèrdua d'ulls, menjar ulls o arrancar ulls, parem ja vomitaré.