Folk

by Tom Wells

Winnie’s no ordinary nun. She swears, she smokes, she drinks Guinness, and she loves a sing-song with Stephen. But soon everything’s going to change.

Stephen’s lost his way. Finding solace in music, he knows he must start again… if only he knew how.

Kayleigh is a teenager, unsure of herself. But when unexpected circumstances lead her to Winnie and Stephen, she starts to find her voice.

Surprising and poignant, Folk is a hilarious and not-so-holy story of hope, coming together and finding your feet when your world is turned upside down. It was co-produced in 2016 by Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Hull Truck Theatre and Watford Palace Theatre.

Genres: Plays

80 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 14, 2016

Reviews

[Reece Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another day, another beautiful play! Tom Wells' greatest skill with Folk is his restraint; it almost feels like it stops before it starts, but that's the genius of it. A pleasantly paced story that finds one person at the end of their life, one just starting it, and one who may have never started to live at all. The continued momentum, felt in each scene, and left to continue by the end of the show - now without our empathetic, watching eyes and hearts - is a bold choice that doesn't always land, but Wells makes it feel not only fulfilling, but right. Some really exceptional character interactions here, and a beautiful narrative from scene to scene. I can't wait to help bring a production of this to life over the next few months, starting tonight!

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Tom Wells, in only four full-length plays and a few short pieces, is quickly becoming one of my favorite contemporary British playwrights. This lovely little charmer is a three-hander about an unconventional nun, a wayward teenage girl, and a lonely factory worker with a secret of his own (no spoilers!) who come together to put on a folk concert for charity. Nothing earthshattering happens, but what's not to like about a funny character-driven piece of theatre?