Steaming

by Nell Dunn

A two act play fro a cast of one man and 5 women.Steaming is set in the Turkish Bath of a run-down Public Baths in the East End of London, where five women regularly meet to bathe, relax, and share their troubles.

Genres: Plays, Fiction

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Nell Mary Dunn (born 9 June 1936) is an English playwright, screenwriter and author. She is known especially for a volume of short stories, Up the Junction, and a novel, Poor Cow.

Reviews

[Steven Godin]

First performed at The Theatre Royal, Stratford, in July 1981, with the great English actress Brenda Blethyn in one of her earliest roles, Dunn's play focuses on a group of five women who regularly socialize at a deteriorating Turkish Baths in the east end of London, and how, after learning that it's under theat from closure because the council want to replace it with a library - nope, these women are defiantly not the reading type - a petition takes place to try and save it. Very much a working class feminist piece, on marriage, sex, friendship, and sharing one's troubles, with some issues that feel just as important today.

Reminded me a little of the writer Alan Sillitoe, and film director Ken Loach. In fact, it was Loach that adaptated Dunn's first novel Poor Cow in 1967.

[James Cooke]

An entertaining play with some good characters and ribald conversations in places

[Ashleigh]

A bit dated and I don't think the narrative ended when it should have. A difficult play to stage in a modern context.

[Thenia]

the cure to female loneliness

[Patrick Neylan]

Good but a bit dated. You can't really criticise it for being 40 years old, but it does make it difficult as a play to put on today. Still, the feminist issues are important even now.