The Architect

by David Greig

The Architect charts the rise and fall of Leo Black, once an idealistic and idolised designer, whose magnificent visions are now crumbling, along with his family, in the light of grubby reality.

"Provides convincing evidence of David Greig's confident transition from a dramatist of promise to one of stature." - The Indpendent

One of a series of drama texts published to coincide with theatrical premieres of new plays and translations.

Genres: Plays, Theatre

116 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 1996

About the author

David Greig is a Scottish dramatist. He was born in Edinburgh in 1969 and brought up in Nigeria. He studied drama at Bristol University and is now a well-known writer and director of plays. He has been commissioned by the Royal Court, the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company and was Artistic Director of the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh from 2015 until 2025, when he left to return to writing.

His first play was produced in Glasgow in 1992 and he has written many plays since, produced worldwide. In 1990 he co-founded Suspect Culture Theatre Group with Graham Eatough in Glasgow.

His translations include Camus' Caligula (2003), Candide 2000, and When the Bulbul Stopped Singing, based on a book by Raja Shehadeh. Danmy 306 + Me (4 ever) (1999) is a play written for children.

David Greig's plays include The American Pilot (2005), about America's involvement in the Middle East and Eastern Europe; Pyrenees (2005) about a man who is found in the foothills of the Pyrenees, having lost his memory; and San Diego (2003), a journey through the American dream. His latest works are Gobbo, a modern- day fairytale; Herges Adverntures of Tintin, an adaptation; Yellow Moon (2006); and Damascus (2007)

Reviews

[herruuzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

depressing as fuck

[sofide · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sheena It's not your building though, is it? It never was. You just did the frippery bits that win prizes. Your stuff's just the façade. Take it away and the place is a dormitory block. Stonehenge, communal space, it doesn't mean anything if there isn't life in the place - shops, work, kids, pubs.
Leo There was supposed to be.
Sheena But there wasn't.

This touches on a lot of things - class differences, sexual trauma, obsession, guilt. It was an odd play. I'm not sure I fully connected. But I'm not too bad about it.

[Maarja Kährik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of awkward regarding the dialogue but I feel it's intentional. Emotionally very compelling, so kind of recommend. An LGBT relationship is very nicely portrayed.

[clareta · Rating 4 out of 5]

quina bajona. very trainspotting.

[ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

well...that was depressing

[Amani Mouuna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful piece of work. Two or three suicides. Looks at the problem of housing as a living space and its effect on family ties, lifestyle, love. David Greig is a good cameraman, he knows when to zoom in and out. The play builds on the story of the architect`s family and expands to reveal the problem with space, housing, poverty, unemployment, identity and violence.

[Burton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a great play to do at the AIA convention. It would be entertaining to see how many Architects get it...