Scotland Road

by Jeffrey Hatcher

"SCOTLAND ROAD—1993 winner of the Lois and Richard Rosenthal's fifth-annual New Play Prize, wraps a suspenseful package of intrigue and psychodrama…The characters and their interactions, which both deepen and unravel the mystery, reveal that few people are what they seem. The result? A study in self-identity, a Gothic psychological thriller, and most of all—pure entertainment." —Recorder. "Hatcher has not just written a mystery. He actually probes who we really are inside as opposed to what image we present to the world." —Cincinnati Post.

Genres: Plays

72 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1996

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of fun. Somebody in one of my theatre synthesis classes a few years ago did a presentation on the book, and described it as being "kind of like the X-Files". That description is pretty spot-on. It's a lot like the X-Files. Especially the ones with boats. And also the one with "Twilight Time". I would love to be in or at least see this performed.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was so good until it got wackadoodle at the end.

[Mark Valentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It may have lost its charm due to not aging very well but it is a good thriller. The plot makes builds slowly until the final pages when it all comes out--completely not what I was suspecting. It reminded me a little of A Woman in Black.

[Victoria Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn’t any time to take a breath during this tightly written metaphysical thriller. The Investigation of a mysterious young woman found floating on an iceberg leads to a trip back to the shipwreck that has captured the imagination for Over a century.

[Jude Atwood]

I love Jeffrey Hatcher, but I suspect this play would be stronger onstage than as a reading experience.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. I would imagine that, with its stark, minimalist set and its Titanic slide projections, "Scotland Road" could be quite the visual experience for an audience. There is one *really* good role for a man and three female roles (two of which could be made very memorable).

The story is interesting enough in its set-up: In the late 90's a young woman (30ish) is discovered at sea, adrift on an iceberg. She is brought to, what appears to be, a stripped-down medical lab in Maine where two "doctors" bicker over the best way to treat her since her story is rather remarkable. Her story? She is a survivor of the sinking of the Titanic. Is she delusional? Is she some kind of magical anomaly? Is it all just some fantastical story created by tabloid newspapers?

The intrigue is palpable in this play. The audience is fed just enough information, as the mystery unfolds, to keep them in constant limbo as to what is fact and what is fiction in regards to the young woman's story. Jeffrey Hatcher does a great job in building tension between his characters and finding small conflicts to keep the action lively (considering the play is mostly three people standing in a white room). The plotting of the story is very well executed..... until the very end, when everything seems to spin out of control at a manic pace. In the end, it feels like the mystery is abandoned for some kind of expressionistic character-trip. The audience is left with too many unanswered questions as action spirals into confusion. I would anticipate a lot of , "What the, huh?" reactions in the theatre when the house-lights come up.

3.5/5

[Tiffany Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

slow start, but picks up - an interesting story that keeps you guessing... but it is a little confusing. I had to re-read the last couple of pages and I wonder what an audioence would get from it when performed. Requires a VERY strong cast. It does leave you thinking - good for post-show discussions on the car ride home. lol 4 stars

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll avoid spoilers, but let's say there's a plot hole big enough to drive a cruise liner through. And the end is the biggest cop-out in storytelling history