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Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again.
You are expected to behave…
Use the right words.
Act appropriately.
Don’t break the rules.
Just behave.
This play is not well behaved.
Alice Birch examines the language, behaviour and forces that shape women in the 21st century and asks what’s stopping us from doing something truly radical to change them.
Use the right words.
Act appropriately.
Don’t break the rules.
Just behave.
This play is not well behaved.
Alice Birch examines the language, behaviour and forces that shape women in the 21st century and asks what’s stopping us from doing something truly radical to change them.
49 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 5, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
July 7, 2017
This play changed my perspective and direction of my own career as an actress. Since reading Birch's play, which is both a feminist manifesto and experimental theatre piece in one, I have delved deeper into the history and current world of feminist theatre. Birch addresses the struggles women and men face in the attempt of navigating through and breaking the bonds of tradition and expectation surrounding marriage, equality, sex, sexism, gender, etc.
October 14, 2017
Cutting, Shameless, Cringed more often than not. I truly was not prepared for what this play had in store.
Revolt vehemently rejects the expectations and responsibilities assigned to and assumed by women - in the most delicious way possible. A cohort of incredible female characters who just do not give a shit.
As a woman myself, I found this play so satisfying. The characters said and did all the things that, although cringey, had me rooting for them on the sideline. I vicariously lived through these nasty women and flirted with the radical ideas presented in the play. Will definitely challenge you. Enjoy!
Revolt vehemently rejects the expectations and responsibilities assigned to and assumed by women - in the most delicious way possible. A cohort of incredible female characters who just do not give a shit.
As a woman myself, I found this play so satisfying. The characters said and did all the things that, although cringey, had me rooting for them on the sideline. I vicariously lived through these nasty women and flirted with the radical ideas presented in the play. Will definitely challenge you. Enjoy!
December 25, 2021
فکر میکنم جایی که بدنم تموم میشه و هوای اطراف اون شروع میشه رو تمام عمرم یه خط بلند ممتد تو میدون جنگ دیدم.
سنگربندی کن.
مژه هام رو کندم. خودم رو با زغال و گل پوشوندم. تمام بدنم رو پانسمان کردم و خودم رو به مجموعهای از لبههای صاف تبدیل کردم. سنگربندی کن. ید و سفیدکننده و دل و رودهی خرگوش به پوستم مالیدم تا وقتی که شروع به سوختن کرد. تقریبن بدنم رو از اعضا و جوارحش خالی کردم. یه سال و سه روز غذا نخوردم، بدنم شد یه دسته پوستهی استخون. فقط چربی حیوون خوردم تا وقتی که گرد شدم و باد کردم و نزدیک بود بترکم. سنگربندی کن. لبههام رو مشخص کن. جایی که من شروع میشم و هوا تموم میشه سرزمین مادری منه. نه؟ زیر لامپهای آفتابی نشستم تا وقتی که پوستم جلز و ولز کرد و تاول زد. با انگشتام موهام رو کندم با انبر دندونام رو. خودم رو تو سلفون و فویل و لباس و آرایش و سیم خاردار پوشوندم.
هیچ سنگربندی به اندازه کافی قوی نبود.
هیچ چیزی مانع خواست اونا به داخل شدن نبود.
دراز بکش.
دراز بکش و در دسترس باش. به طور مداوم. بخواه که مورد دخول قرار بگیری. به طور مداوم. این نمیتونه یه تجاوز باشه اگه تو اون رو بخوای. اونا نمیتونن بهت تجاوز کنن اگه تو اون رو بخوای. پاهات رو باز کن پیرهنت رو بالای سرت بنداز شورتت رو پایین بکش و اون رو بخواه و اونا دیگه نمیتونن بهت تجاوز کنن.
خیس شو.
خیس شو.
خیس تر.
حالی به حالی شو. حالی به حالی شو. حالی به حالی شو.
و اون رو بخواه و اون رو بخواه. به طور مداوم. به طور مداوم. به طور مداوم اون رو بخواه. لبههای بدنت رو حذف کن. انتخاب کن. بدنم میدون جنگ نیست، دیگه خط دفاعی وجود نداره. من باز هستم. اینجا دیگه مرزی وجود نداره. این بدن این زمین حمله نشدنی، محافظت نشده،چیره نشدنی، مطالبه نشدنیه بی تفاوت با هوای اطراف اون یا بدنهایی که در اون وارد میشن چون درونی برای وارد شدن وجود نداره، نمیتونی بر اون قدرتی اعمال کنی چون به تو دادمش نمیتونی بهش تجاوز کنی چون من اون رو انتخاب کردم نمیتونی بگیری چون من اون رو دادم و چون من اون انتخاب کردم من اون انتخاب کردم من اون انتخاب کردم
به طور مداوم
دنیا دیگه هرگز نمیتونه به من حمله کنه
چون من اون رو انتخاب کردم. دوباره و دوباره
سنگربندی کن.
مژه هام رو کندم. خودم رو با زغال و گل پوشوندم. تمام بدنم رو پانسمان کردم و خودم رو به مجموعهای از لبههای صاف تبدیل کردم. سنگربندی کن. ید و سفیدکننده و دل و رودهی خرگوش به پوستم مالیدم تا وقتی که شروع به سوختن کرد. تقریبن بدنم رو از اعضا و جوارحش خالی کردم. یه سال و سه روز غذا نخوردم، بدنم شد یه دسته پوستهی استخون. فقط چربی حیوون خوردم تا وقتی که گرد شدم و باد کردم و نزدیک بود بترکم. سنگربندی کن. لبههام رو مشخص کن. جایی که من شروع میشم و هوا تموم میشه سرزمین مادری منه. نه؟ زیر لامپهای آفتابی نشستم تا وقتی که پوستم جلز و ولز کرد و تاول زد. با انگشتام موهام رو کندم با انبر دندونام رو. خودم رو تو سلفون و فویل و لباس و آرایش و سیم خاردار پوشوندم.
هیچ سنگربندی به اندازه کافی قوی نبود.
هیچ چیزی مانع خواست اونا به داخل شدن نبود.
دراز بکش.
دراز بکش و در دسترس باش. به طور مداوم. بخواه که مورد دخول قرار بگیری. به طور مداوم. این نمیتونه یه تجاوز باشه اگه تو اون رو بخوای. اونا نمیتونن بهت تجاوز کنن اگه تو اون رو بخوای. پاهات رو باز کن پیرهنت رو بالای سرت بنداز شورتت رو پایین بکش و اون رو بخواه و اونا دیگه نمیتونن بهت تجاوز کنن.
خیس شو.
خیس شو.
خیس تر.
حالی به حالی شو. حالی به حالی شو. حالی به حالی شو.
و اون رو بخواه و اون رو بخواه. به طور مداوم. به طور مداوم. به طور مداوم اون رو بخواه. لبههای بدنت رو حذف کن. انتخاب کن. بدنم میدون جنگ نیست، دیگه خط دفاعی وجود نداره. من باز هستم. اینجا دیگه مرزی وجود نداره. این بدن این زمین حمله نشدنی، محافظت نشده،چیره نشدنی، مطالبه نشدنیه بی تفاوت با هوای اطراف اون یا بدنهایی که در اون وارد میشن چون درونی برای وارد شدن وجود نداره، نمیتونی بر اون قدرتی اعمال کنی چون به تو دادمش نمیتونی بهش تجاوز کنی چون من اون رو انتخاب کردم نمیتونی بگیری چون من اون رو دادم و چون من اون انتخاب کردم من اون انتخاب کردم من اون انتخاب کردم
به طور مداوم
دنیا دیگه هرگز نمیتونه به من حمله کنه
چون من اون رو انتخاب کردم. دوباره و دوباره
September 22, 2021
It really is just staggeringly brilliant. Form as politics, language as weapon, playtext as manifesto.
November 11, 2019
Maybe I'm just not that into absurdist theatre. Like this play, I struggled a lot with Caryl Churchill's Top Girls, mainly because I was reading it rather than watching it. Reading plays in this way might be harsh, but I generally see them as instruction manuals for a finished product, and in some ways reading them can spark off your imagination into all the different ways they can be performed.
What perhaps is most frustrated about Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. is that I find it very difficult to picture this finished product. There are stylistic techniques like stutterings, overlapping dialogue, and pauses put in by the playwright that I usually find annoying and unnecessary. And on the polar opposite of the spectrum there are a lot of things that are very vague about this play. It's unclear as to who the characters are, or how many there are in any given scenes. No one even has names until halfway through the play, and then the names go again. There is definitely characterisation here, but it's a nightmare trying to recognise them without any characters. I don't really understand the purpose of it, as a similar effect could be done with giving each character a letter or a number.
This isn't really my thing. With the Churchill comparison, as much as I disliked Top Girls I found that her work, and absurdist theatre in general, opened up to me a bit more with some of her other more zanier and funnier works like Cloud Nine and Far Away. So I really hope that I'll read some other stuff by Birch that will open me up a bit more, and if I did get an opportunity to see this I definitely would.
What perhaps is most frustrated about Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. is that I find it very difficult to picture this finished product. There are stylistic techniques like stutterings, overlapping dialogue, and pauses put in by the playwright that I usually find annoying and unnecessary. And on the polar opposite of the spectrum there are a lot of things that are very vague about this play. It's unclear as to who the characters are, or how many there are in any given scenes. No one even has names until halfway through the play, and then the names go again. There is definitely characterisation here, but it's a nightmare trying to recognise them without any characters. I don't really understand the purpose of it, as a similar effect could be done with giving each character a letter or a number.
This isn't really my thing. With the Churchill comparison, as much as I disliked Top Girls I found that her work, and absurdist theatre in general, opened up to me a bit more with some of her other more zanier and funnier works like Cloud Nine and Far Away. So I really hope that I'll read some other stuff by Birch that will open me up a bit more, and if I did get an opportunity to see this I definitely would.
July 26, 2020
Wow is all I can even think to say without exploding. That and "Ahhhhhh"
September 20, 2024
I’m more confused by this than moved. I know it’s an experimental theatre piece so it would be better to watch it than read. I don’t feel moved by it at all. Yes, I feel challenged which I guess is ultimately the point but also very confused on how this would be effectively put on. Anyway love my life that I am using a monologue from this as an audition piece.
October 22, 2019
Holy. Fuck.
I have never read something so seething, so brilliantly searing, as this play. It is always a bit of a challenge to acclimate to Alice Birch’s writing style (structurally, that is) but once I did, I was internally SCREAMING “PLEASE SOMEONE, READ THIS! PERFORM THIS!” Since I don’t have friends who are into theater, I’ve reserved all of my thrill for this review.
And I guess since no one has dared to produce this in my area, I’ll be doing that too.
I have never read something so seething, so brilliantly searing, as this play. It is always a bit of a challenge to acclimate to Alice Birch’s writing style (structurally, that is) but once I did, I was internally SCREAMING “PLEASE SOMEONE, READ THIS! PERFORM THIS!” Since I don’t have friends who are into theater, I’ve reserved all of my thrill for this review.
And I guess since no one has dared to produce this in my area, I’ll be doing that too.
July 4, 2017
Thrilling, radical deconstruction of societal oppression of women and what it would take to start anew.
May 3, 2023
This is a phenomenal play. While it's experimental and metatheatrical, it isn't obscure or cerebral. Alice Birch is a master of dramaturgy. Divided into four acts, Revolt. She said. Revolt Again. shows four different situations in which women discuss misogyny, objectification, and domestic abuse. It is witty and angry, a mesmerizing, loud, plangent play. Except for Act 3, the speakers are not identified (a change of speaker is simply indicated with an em-dash); they frequently speak over one another (with a slash indicating overlapping speech); and the stage directions often add, in parentheses, that the actor should forget the lines or break out of character. For the most part, we're not even sure of the gender of any speaker (except that the author's note says that one speaker must be a woman) or how many speakers are even on stage. This is a play that requires every director to imagine and stage the play—everything from the number of actors, who is speaking, how they are dressed, whether they are dressed, what the tone is, whether they are even acting at all.
But while this might sound like experimental conceptual theatre, it is visceral and poignant. I particularly liked the first act in which a man tries to tell a woman in stammering malapropisms that he loves her but she rebuffs all his attempts at seductive sex-talk with quizzical put-downs:
It's brilliantly funny, daring, provocative. Alice Birch is a master of effusive non-speech; the characters talk past one another in rapid fire; no one speaks politely; and it culminates in a polyphony of women's voices all chanting over one another in a plaintive chorus of lamentation and outrage. This is a feminist screed; it hates men; it skewers them. I loved it all.
But while this might sound like experimental conceptual theatre, it is visceral and poignant. I particularly liked the first act in which a man tries to tell a woman in stammering malapropisms that he loves her but she rebuffs all his attempts at seductive sex-talk with quizzical put-downs:
—Yeah and then I'm going to peel your dress off—slow—and and don't laugh
—Not laugh/ing
—/ And you
—Not laughing but also I'm not a potato
—You can peel my clothes off
—You are also not a potato this is not potato / sex
—And I'm I'm kissing you, all over
—mmmmm?
—Yeah I'm kissing you all over and and I'm going to spread your legs
—Oh?
—Or you will spread them. When you are ready to spread them.
—mmmm
—uh-huh
—I. Um. I don't want to Spread them—could / we not say
Spread
— / you don't want /to spread them now
—/ sort of sounds like margarine
It's brilliantly funny, daring, provocative. Alice Birch is a master of effusive non-speech; the characters talk past one another in rapid fire; no one speaks politely; and it culminates in a polyphony of women's voices all chanting over one another in a plaintive chorus of lamentation and outrage. This is a feminist screed; it hates men; it skewers them. I loved it all.
July 27, 2020
Plays like this one (in particular) are just so hard to rate or evaluate. This ones yearns to be seen or performed, rather than read. Characters don't have names, and even when they do, it's not all that helpful. There's no distinction between who is supposed to be talking when. Perhaps a staged performance would help with understanding what was going on, what the relationships/dynamics between the characters ought to be? But really, it's just plain confusing.
Despite my confusion, it is a really fascinating play. Its style is reminiscent of Valerie Solanas--it's that pointed, sharp, blatant. Birch takes everyday situations (or are they?) and blows them to an extreme. It's feminist, but errs very much to the extreme. Maybe that's why I didn't vibe with it as much. Albeit, some of the moments are very well composed and thought-provoking. Just not really my thing.
Who knew that life could be so awful.
Despite my confusion, it is a really fascinating play. Its style is reminiscent of Valerie Solanas--it's that pointed, sharp, blatant. Birch takes everyday situations (or are they?) and blows them to an extreme. It's feminist, but errs very much to the extreme. Maybe that's why I didn't vibe with it as much. Albeit, some of the moments are very well composed and thought-provoking. Just not really my thing.
Who knew that life could be so awful.
September 15, 2020
The first act was absolutely fantastic, loved how the characters had no names, it created such a playfully chaotic space for exploration and I imagine in rehearsal a lot of experimentation could be done with the genders of characters/actors. I was really getting into the more concept rather than character based narrative when Birch threw that oddly absurdist, I imagine, deliberately disturbing scene, opening act two. I like and enjoy absurdism but this did shock me and had some sort of a desired disturbing impact. I’m unsure however, if it actually undermines the intricacy of the previous act. After this the final scene is an explosion of absurdity which, I can imagine, to be powerful in person but didn’t entirely work for me on text. That said, I think Birch, as she rightly said, didn’t want to make sense and I somewhat enjoyed the sickening frustration of Birch’s ending cause by my brain simply desiring structure. A powerful if somewhat imperfect text.
April 14, 2023
Definitely a play I’d love to see - it’s hard to experience the full effect of it when just reading it.
I love the feminist messages throughout the book - even as it tends to radical feminism it communicates a powerful, vital message about our patriarchal society.
I know a tendency for radical feminism seems to have been the intention of the piece, but I do wish there had been more nuance and balance to it. Birch addresses the complexity of being a feminist in today’s age but somewhat seems to discard the complexity of what it means to be a woman at all. Or even: should we define what it means to be a woman? Is that even something that can be defined? Gender is something entirely made up by society, and while I feel that women need to rise up against the constraints of the patriarchy, moving beyond this into a world where gender is recognized as entirely arbitrary is, to me, the ultimate goal. But those are just my thoughtsies. I’d love to see this play.
I love the feminist messages throughout the book - even as it tends to radical feminism it communicates a powerful, vital message about our patriarchal society.
I know a tendency for radical feminism seems to have been the intention of the piece, but I do wish there had been more nuance and balance to it. Birch addresses the complexity of being a feminist in today’s age but somewhat seems to discard the complexity of what it means to be a woman at all. Or even: should we define what it means to be a woman? Is that even something that can be defined? Gender is something entirely made up by society, and while I feel that women need to rise up against the constraints of the patriarchy, moving beyond this into a world where gender is recognized as entirely arbitrary is, to me, the ultimate goal. But those are just my thoughtsies. I’d love to see this play.
February 16, 2019
Brutal, brutal, brutal. Birch lleva los caminos arquetípicos del género y el lenguaje (entendidos aquí como patrones, como vehículos rígidos que se han de respetar) a su más extrema vuelta de tuerca. La forma de proponer cada parlamento como un replanteamiento de lo que ya se ha dicho: el discurso se está permanentemente reiniciando hacia un desvío, al igual que todas las situaciones o problemáticas estereotípicas de género que se van ofreciendo.
Feminismo del bueno y duro, con una inyección de éxtasis.
Feminismo del bueno y duro, con una inyección de éxtasis.
March 21, 2020
This play is a wonderfully written play about experiences of women. Experiences that I’m sure at least 9 out of 10, if not 10/10, have gone through. This play speaks of words that may feel uncomfortable, sad and intriguing but they are MEANT to be said. This play represents everything is to know about how a woman feels and is acted upon in society. And it’s heartwarming yet deadly serious experience. I am beyond glad to consider my self part of the incoming generation of (hopefully) writers and playwrights after talented artists such as Alice Birch.
July 12, 2020
This Rages. This is righteous. This is anarchic. This is absurd. And this deserves to be seen (it reads like it), but alas I’ve only read it... maybe it’s out on the intertubes somewhere? Anyway, very good stuff! Ends brilliantly, especially Acts 3 & 4...
“It failed. The whole world failed at it. It could have been so brilliant. How strange of you not to feel sad.
Who knew life could be so awful.”
Nails it all!
“It failed. The whole world failed at it. It could have been so brilliant. How strange of you not to feel sad.
Who knew life could be so awful.”
Nails it all!
Read
March 25, 2021Rereading this is very helpful as you are braced for the sheer level of experimentation, but as with all of Alice Birch's writing, it gets into your skin and delights in being as uncomfortable as possible.
What it lacks in terns of humanity, especially when compared with her later play Anatomy of a Suicide, it more than makes up for with its ideas that spring from our social expectations rather than generalising about them.
What it lacks in terns of humanity, especially when compared with her later play Anatomy of a Suicide, it more than makes up for with its ideas that spring from our social expectations rather than generalising about them.
August 25, 2025
Love this play, definitely pushes how graphic I think stories need to be, but I loved the style of writing and how flexible the piece is to allow play and nuance by the actors involved.
Surprisingly, funny, especially in some of the overlapping dialogue scenes
Definitely something that I think I would have a stronger love for if I saw it staged as opposed to reading it because so much of it has things that happen in between the moments of dialogue !
Surprisingly, funny, especially in some of the overlapping dialogue scenes
Definitely something that I think I would have a stronger love for if I saw it staged as opposed to reading it because so much of it has things that happen in between the moments of dialogue !
January 25, 2019
It is certainly a must read - it completely blows your mind when you are used to traditional drama. Even if you are familiar with modern plays this is something else ... I think there are no words for it ...
It is exceptional!
However, only three stars of five because I've read other plays which affected me even more.
Nevertheless, great play!
It is exceptional!
However, only three stars of five because I've read other plays which affected me even more.
Nevertheless, great play!
March 5, 2020
3.5/5
I was a bit nervous about this class reading because experimental theater is usually not my thing. However, for the most part I found this well thought out and extremely funny. I was not expecting the jokes to hit that hard especially considering I wasn’t seeing it be performed. There were some odd parts I didn’t get but I really was shocked at how hilarious this was.
I was a bit nervous about this class reading because experimental theater is usually not my thing. However, for the most part I found this well thought out and extremely funny. I was not expecting the jokes to hit that hard especially considering I wasn’t seeing it be performed. There were some odd parts I didn’t get but I really was shocked at how hilarious this was.
October 13, 2020
Yeah, this one was weird. Just a general note: if your play has no characters and different parts are denoted by dashes, maybe check to make sure the dashes are in the right places?? We should not have to get a long email from our instructor telling us how to decypher the typos??? Still fun
September 28, 2021
This play is A LOT. Quite an intense read and to be honest I found it very hard to absorb exactly what was going on, I wouldn't have ever read it if it wasn't an assigned text for Uni. Worth a read for the sake of broadening your horizons as a reader, but definitely for a very specific audience
May 30, 2023
I’m going to be thinking about this script for a while. I think it would be a five star experience to see it live, it was just somewhat confusing at times for me to keep track of everything while reading it off the page. Unlike anything I’ve read before.
August 27, 2023
This play is created in chaos and overlap. In a confrontational approach to the expectations and contradictions placed on allowing women to exist. It refuses to stay within its box. It’s fast and loud and unapologetic about refusing to being well behaved.
October 17, 2023
if this was performed at assembly rooms i think the walls would collapse.
this was seminar reading but omg it made me think.
conveys the paradox of womanhood & societies avoidance of recognition to it
a very graphic read (i would recommend checking tw)
this was seminar reading but omg it made me think.
conveys the paradox of womanhood & societies avoidance of recognition to it
a very graphic read (i would recommend checking tw)
June 23, 2025
As a big Alice Birch fan, I was really excited to read this. However, the script formatting made this extremely confusing. I found this piece to feel really pretentious rather than a “cool experimental performance.” I would love to see this live and come back to rate this.
February 26, 2018
Not a solid read (the last vignette gets a little muddy with no character names), but an incredible collection of scenes. I would kill to see this one live!
March 4, 2018
A clever piece of theatre, that is both fun and radical 💪 Just the way I like my feminism 😜
August 18, 2018
Poetic, but not really sure what was going on. Very different from most script formats.
November 8, 2018
I feel like I would have appreciated it more if I'd seen it. A challenging read, but entertaining all the same.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews