Notes on Falling Leaves (

by Ayub Khan-Din

A poignant, elegiac short play from the author of East is East.

As his mother fades away, a son returns to the house where he grew up. It is empty, but full of reminders of how she once was. She, meanwhile, has her own foggy memories and feelings about why they try to communicate, but just can't.

'wonderful, Beckettian evocation of a mind struggling to comprehend the loss of its own faculties and the running down of the self' - Evening Standard

'Ab Khan Din's deeply moving new play lasts only 50 minutes, but it conjures up a world of loss, love and grief. At times the writing is as spare as Samuel Beckett's, but there is also a warmth, and a vivid eye for detail, that make the piece overwhelming in its emotional impact' - Daily Telegraph

23 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 12, 2005

Reviews

[Irram · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short play that explores the relationship between a grown up son and his mother who has suffered from some kind of ailment. The play does not delve into many scenes of their love and loss, but it is in the details of their fractured memories that the play succeeds to sway its readers.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very sad. Its short length is both a strength and a weakness. It allows the author to jump straight to the heart of the characters and story, but it also keeps us from spending very much time with these people and (at least on the page) comes across as more of a sketch than an emotional journey.