Eight

by Ella Hickson

EIGHT swept the board at the biggest arts festival in the world, the Edinburgh Festival, in 2008. An underground hit propagated by sensational word-of-mouth, it went on to win a coveted Scotsman Fringe First Award, the NSDF Emerging Artists Award and the Carol Tambor ‘Best of Edinburgh’ Award, awarded to only one show across the thousands of productions at the festival. Introducing eight beguiling oddballs, struggling to define what it is to be normal amidst the dissolution of social, moral, sexual and cultural boundaries in The Naughties. From high-class hookers to those who make friends in morgues, to single mothers and bereaved gallery owners, Eight gives all of these otherwise neglected characters center-stage, including the moving, politically punchy portrait of a man who has lost everything except his memories of the 7/7 London bombings.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama

76 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2009

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, rounded up.

Obviously modeled on Alan Bennett's Talking Heads, a series of monologues for millennials, this was Hickson's first foray into the dramaturgical realm - and it kinda shows. They aren't BAD, per se, but betray a certain lack of polish, and aren't as innovative or as shocking as I think she intends them to be. Still, some nice monologue material for budding actors.

[esme mae (taylor's version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a pretty solid group of monolouges until the extra one at the end, which was just really weird. a little gross and unneeded, but oh well!

*read for LAMDA*

[Julesie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each of these 8 vignettes sucks you into that character's world and you become part of their journey. I'm in awe at how much Hickson packs into these tiny moments. Many of these monologues are explicitly about guilt and how we cope with it. So many interesting scenarios about how guilt can consume us or how we can choose to toss it away! how does the guilt fit into the monologues where it isn't obvious, or does it have a place there at all?

Seeing this neat in the original way Hickson wanted it performed, where the audience blindly votes on which monologues get performed would be a treat! I read this bc I need a monologue for an audition and I really love some of the options in here.

[Alex Cotterill · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the next play in my drama group, we have chosen Eight, with me being the director of Danny.

Most of the monologues are the same depressing and monotonous tone; however ones like Danny and Andre have some great dry humour and jokes in it lol.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The monologues are, for the most part, really terrific. I just wish there was something about the piece that wrapped them together some way.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An array of monologues that explores "growing up in a world in which the central value system is based on an ethic of commercial, aesthetic and sexual excess". An insight into the views and lives of young adults that try to believe in not only themselves, but the ever-changing world around them as they try to adjust and evaluate the times. I liked some of the monologues, others I did not.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of monologues. They don’t really knit together as a play, but I get the vision. Some monologues are 5 star! And some more like 2 star, so overall I kind of averaged the rating. Interesting read!

[Zizi Franses · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting group of monologues. A real mix! Some really resonated with me, others not so much. I thought the writing was solid, especially for someone making their dramaturgy debut, but I felt like it lacked coherence/cohesion.

[Ria · Rating 4 out of 5]

So funny and with cultural, political and dark themes. Loved it!

[Leah Lopez · Rating 1 out of 5]

E.I.G.H.T. stories. E.I.G.H.T. characters.

Each character has been wrote with a unique voice. A fresh story and fascinating endings.

It was fresh, unique, and would be good for educational purposes.

There wasn't anything that gripped me, that made me want to read till the end. So, my rating for this book has to be 1/5

[Ann Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this collection of Monologues in the hope of finding something suitable for members of a rather eclectic AS level class to perform. It was shocking and enthralling...
The darker sides of the human psyche exposed for a waiting audience. I really want to see each of them performed.

[Ophelia Vert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunning collection of raw and interesting characters.

After more than one monologue, I was sobbing, and I was almost always thinking about the character's story the following day.

It definitely is written to be performed.