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Lungs
In a time of global anxiety, terrorism, erratic weather, and political unrest, a young couple wants to have a child but are running out of time. If they over think it, they'll never do it. But if they rush, it could be a disaster.
96 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2011
44 people are currently reading
903 people want to read
About the author
Duncan Macmillan
61 books67 followersThis page is for the English playwright. For the Scottish art historian, see Duncan Macmillan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
February 10, 2022
Powerful and fantastic.
November 18, 2019
This play is brilliant when you read it but when you see it performed on stage (by Claire Foy and Matt Smith, if you're as lucky as me), it really comes alive. It's incredibly timely and as funny as it is heartbreaking. What can I say? Relationships are bloody hard, giving birth to the Eiffel Tower is harder. How to even be happy?
July 1, 2020
Have not a clue why this is entitled 'Lungs' (except maybe vaguely, as it's primarily about a couple worrying about what 'carbon footprint' bringing a child into a world would leave, therefore I suppose the effect all that CO2 would have on breathing). It's an odd play to read, in that the playwright insists there be no set, props or miming, and no blackouts or lighting changes between scenes, so reading it, one has to make adjustments in one's own mind. The dialogue reads as hyper-realistic, meaning that people often don't finish thoughts, but barrel through and interrupt each other constantly, which CAN get to be a bit much. Regardless, a thoughtful and engaging play that could be quite devastating with brilliant actors in the two roles. as apparently were Claire Foy and Matt Smith in the current Old Vic production.
May 24, 2021
Lungs is a play that had a great deal of momentum. If it were not for the events that took place during a year that we are not going to mention because of an issue we are not going to mention, there would have been even greater momentum for the performances and viewership of this play. There is a lot to build and it speaks a lot for our current generation and their way of thought. This play does a good job touching upon those issues, but it unfortunately does not do as good a job bringing that dimension to the characters within this play. The characters in this play as referred to as "W" (for woman) and "M" (for man), but it is directed that the playbill simply list the name of the actors that are playing each role.
In this play, the woman and man engage in a relationship of their times, demonstrating traits that are insecure, self-deprecating, and to some extent self-centered. Since we only get their perspective, we cannot measure the quality of these characters at hand, but based off of what they have to say, they are very self absorbed and inconsistent with their thoughts. They each ponder about their problems, which is measured by the fact that it takes up a great majority of this play, while the good moments zip right by, which seems as if it is the way of life. The actions of these characters in this play are also melodramatic, where as they feel they need to do what society sees as "good things" in order to assure that they are "good people," while the attitude that they have toward each other's parents is quite petty and immature.
The backdrop and issues that are presented throughout this play are brilliant, but the writing is lackluster in its finished product. There is not a clear sense of direction regarding where this play is going. I do admire how they bring up the chokehold that Disney has on the entertainment industry and mentions things that society tells them is the right way to gather information and live your life, but it does not provide me with a sense of admiration for the characters at hand. On one hand, I think that we are supposed to be horrified, but the finished product of this play depicts something that is horrifying and not hysterical. I can only imagine watching this play in person and feeling a great sense of feeling boggled, agitated, and possibly inflicted with the side effect of a headache.
I can see myself wanting to examine this play in how it generalizes the flaws of our generation, but I cannot see myself enjoying this play for its entertainment value.
In this play, the woman and man engage in a relationship of their times, demonstrating traits that are insecure, self-deprecating, and to some extent self-centered. Since we only get their perspective, we cannot measure the quality of these characters at hand, but based off of what they have to say, they are very self absorbed and inconsistent with their thoughts. They each ponder about their problems, which is measured by the fact that it takes up a great majority of this play, while the good moments zip right by, which seems as if it is the way of life. The actions of these characters in this play are also melodramatic, where as they feel they need to do what society sees as "good things" in order to assure that they are "good people," while the attitude that they have toward each other's parents is quite petty and immature.
The backdrop and issues that are presented throughout this play are brilliant, but the writing is lackluster in its finished product. There is not a clear sense of direction regarding where this play is going. I do admire how they bring up the chokehold that Disney has on the entertainment industry and mentions things that society tells them is the right way to gather information and live your life, but it does not provide me with a sense of admiration for the characters at hand. On one hand, I think that we are supposed to be horrified, but the finished product of this play depicts something that is horrifying and not hysterical. I can only imagine watching this play in person and feeling a great sense of feeling boggled, agitated, and possibly inflicted with the side effect of a headache.
I can see myself wanting to examine this play in how it generalizes the flaws of our generation, but I cannot see myself enjoying this play for its entertainment value.
March 2, 2021
So cool!
As anyone who has read my own work or seen my films knows, I fucking LOVE dialogue, unashamedly :) Especially as a dramatic exercise with minimal cast also!! And that's exactly what this is, a couple who take the audience through a wealth of themes and reveal just how damn difficult it is to be an ordinary couple, and the enormous impossible burden of considering bringing a child into the world—which, ultimately, as I have suspected of late, must be done a little unconsciously. Because if one tried to weigh it all up—what it meant, whether it's the right thing to do—you couldn't. It's a morally and ethically ambiguous thing to do. Just like... IDK, existing is too.
It's great to see a playwright operating at that level of intelligence, able to write about things without feeling like they need to provide answers in order to do so :)
As anyone who has read my own work or seen my films knows, I fucking LOVE dialogue, unashamedly :) Especially as a dramatic exercise with minimal cast also!! And that's exactly what this is, a couple who take the audience through a wealth of themes and reveal just how damn difficult it is to be an ordinary couple, and the enormous impossible burden of considering bringing a child into the world—which, ultimately, as I have suspected of late, must be done a little unconsciously. Because if one tried to weigh it all up—what it meant, whether it's the right thing to do—you couldn't. It's a morally and ethically ambiguous thing to do. Just like... IDK, existing is too.
It's great to see a playwright operating at that level of intelligence, able to write about things without feeling like they need to provide answers in order to do so :)
October 23, 2012
It's a play about the destruction of the planet and the destruction of a relationship. No set, no costume changes, no scenes or intermission and spans an entire life. Really amazing concept, twist in the end - want to see this on the stage.
January 27, 2022
I’m so in love with this play.
October 11, 2022
they're having a conversation
September 26, 2017
Beautiful and important. It's raw, painful, exhilarating, and extremely intimate. Scenes flow together uninterrupted, no set, no props, just a relationship and one question.
March 13, 2020
What a mess.
May 24, 2020
My brother is the marketing director of the Unicorn Theatre. For the past several seasons, their creative has been handled by a local agency who, in the midst of the Coronavirus crisis, said they were barely hanging on and would have to pass on the upcoming season. My brother asked me if I was interested, and I said I was — this is a dream assignment that’s been on my wishlist for years. Of course, as part of the process, I have to read the plays, and so I have been. I love going to the theatre but I’ve never read a lot of plays (not unusual, I’m sure), so this has been a relatively novel experience for me. In any case, at the conclusion of reading each play, I’ve dashed off initial impressions via text to my brother. For these plays, unlike my more measured, more thoughtful book reviews, I’ll be using those slapdash messages.
“Lungs” … Holy shit! The lifespan of a couple in 78 pages. No props, no set design, and no real delineation in time or space. Minutes, hours, days, weeks, months — time and place — jump with the next line. Wow. Whirlwind, tornado, tsunami, fucking flood of emotion and adrenaline and just — totally real. Loved it.
As a side note, I could not help but see Dave and George and their rapid-fire conversation after the “close or hit the bricks” ultimatum in “Glengarry Glen Ross” as some sort of inspiration here. Of course, there are probably scores of more appropriate reference points, but that’s the one I’ve got.
To which my brother replied, “I had to literally step away and take a breath. It moved so fast! You’re right. The dialogue is very much like Mamet. Real. Off the cuff. Fast.”
“Lungs” … Holy shit! The lifespan of a couple in 78 pages. No props, no set design, and no real delineation in time or space. Minutes, hours, days, weeks, months — time and place — jump with the next line. Wow. Whirlwind, tornado, tsunami, fucking flood of emotion and adrenaline and just — totally real. Loved it.
As a side note, I could not help but see Dave and George and their rapid-fire conversation after the “close or hit the bricks” ultimatum in “Glengarry Glen Ross” as some sort of inspiration here. Of course, there are probably scores of more appropriate reference points, but that’s the one I’ve got.
To which my brother replied, “I had to literally step away and take a breath. It moved so fast! You’re right. The dialogue is very much like Mamet. Real. Off the cuff. Fast.”
June 30, 2022
The messy dance of a relationship, in snippets. Should-we-or-shouldn’t-we at every turn. How does anyone have kids? How does anyone make it all work? Does it only ever look smooth in hindsight? Plus trying to be a good person, or feel like a good person, when it also feels like the world’s crumbling
January 17, 2025
And fucking breathe, breathe breathe breathe
Can’t believe how quickly this went by but also read it in theee places, in Mother Espresso, in Ropes and Twines and Hope Street Theatre just before a show
4.5 - I think was a whiplash being my first script for stage and it all being quick but knowing it would be slower on stage
Can’t believe how quickly this went by but also read it in theee places, in Mother Espresso, in Ropes and Twines and Hope Street Theatre just before a show
4.5 - I think was a whiplash being my first script for stage and it all being quick but knowing it would be slower on stage
April 26, 2023
De algo me sonaba y es que la interpretó Claire Foy y mi amado Matt Smith me hubiese encantado verlos en vivo seguramente era otra experiencia con ellos dos porque así en tinta me pareció aburrido e infumable. Reiterativo y obvio, me duele pero hasta ahora el autor al menos para mí es un one hit Wonder
August 6, 2023
"And we’ll have a conversation and we’ll just try to do the right thing. Because we’re good people. Right?
And we’ll plant forests. I mean it. We’ll cycle everywhere. We’ll grow our own food if we have to. We’ll never take another plane. We’ll just stay right here. And we’ll plant forests."
And we’ll plant forests. I mean it. We’ll cycle everywhere. We’ll grow our own food if we have to. We’ll never take another plane. We’ll just stay right here. And we’ll plant forests."
January 20, 2022
Would be interested to see how clearly the blocking is able to differentiate scenes because strictly reading it made those switches quite unclear.
Really interesting take on a modern couple struggling with big decisions while a timeline is hung over them.
Really interesting take on a modern couple struggling with big decisions while a timeline is hung over them.
November 2, 2022
Once again another boring as fuck depressing play that I’m forced to read because I’m doing a monologue from it lol
February 7, 2024
Jam packed with scenes that feel like they were lifted from my life. Practically word for word discussions with my wife about the pros and cons of having a kid. Highly recommend.
May 22, 2024
Interesting, raw, alarming! Good read.
March 30, 2025
Nicely structured verbatim text - leaves a lot of flexibility for staging
April 20, 2020
Incredible play. Themes and motif's throughout popped out magically like a beautiful surprise. Really hit the heart strings this one.
October 2, 2022
I could cry! I love Duncan Macmillan's plays because he writes like no one I've ever read before. This was so good, I can't even explain!
September 15, 2025
Not long so super easy to read. Enjoyed the pacing. Loved the characters but also hated parts of them. Ending was super quick, I needed a little more.
January 31, 2025
Not sure about this one
September 17, 2024
Sobbing. The playwright does a good job of still making you root for and care about people who do things that aren’t the best, separating the actions from the people.
May 30, 2020
Ένα απλό, σύντομο σε διάρκεια και περιεκτικό έργο που ταυτόχρονα γίνεται σκληρό, οδυνηρό, συναρπαστικό και με πολλά μηνύματα. Μια ιστορία αγάπης μέσα από την οποία ο συγγραφέας αναφέρεται σε θέματα που αφορούν την ανθρώπινη φύση, την κλιματική αλλαγή και την επιστήμη.
Ο κόσμος θα χρειαστεί καλούς ανθρώπους. Ειδικά με όσα συμβαίνουν. Δεν μπορούμε έτσι απλώς να αφήσουμε τον κόσμο σε ανθρώπους που δεν σκέφτονται....χωρίς ποτέ να έχουν σκεφτεί αν είναι ικανοί να προσφέρουν αγάπη.
Ο κόσμος θα χρειαστεί καλούς ανθρώπους. Ειδικά με όσα συμβαίνουν. Δεν μπορούμε έτσι απλώς να αφήσουμε τον κόσμο σε ανθρώπους που δεν σκέφτονται....χωρίς ποτέ να έχουν σκεφτεί αν είναι ικανοί να προσφέρουν αγάπη.
November 5, 2019
Matt Smith and Claire Foy are absolutely brilliant in the current staging at the Old Vic!
March 2, 2013
A raw play about the thick and thin of a relationship and also environmental degradation. In present day, a couple debates whether to have a child, based on their own fears and hangups as well as on whether it's fair (on the planet, on a baby) to bring a child into a disintegrating world. The play spans the couples', as their relationship spins out and the planet heats up.
Duncan MacMillan says you should write plays around questions that make you nervous, things you sometimes believe even though you know you shouldn't, because you'll express something the audience feels that ambivalence about too, and capture something grand. MacMillan's done that here and because of it the play is sharp. Sometimes too sharp for me, in that at times it was hard to read because I could see the worst of myself, the most distorted, in the characters. They're people very much states of stress, perpetual stress. Which I guess mirrors brilliantly the environmental stress the play is about, and that MacMillan started the play wanting to write about without knowing what kind of form it would take. A really sad and well-realized story, and a perfect container for it too. I imagine audiences in tears at the end.
There are plenty of things here that would fail in the hands of a lesser writer, mostly inarticulate speech and conversations that never quite complete themselves. This verisimilitude to real conversation gives this play its texture but with less dramatic tension would just fall flat. Here it works brilliantly.
There's no set, no scene changes or changes in lighting or extra sound and no miming, so I would be curious to see how this is performed, that is how the actors orient their bodies to one another and the audience.
Duncan MacMillan says you should write plays around questions that make you nervous, things you sometimes believe even though you know you shouldn't, because you'll express something the audience feels that ambivalence about too, and capture something grand. MacMillan's done that here and because of it the play is sharp. Sometimes too sharp for me, in that at times it was hard to read because I could see the worst of myself, the most distorted, in the characters. They're people very much states of stress, perpetual stress. Which I guess mirrors brilliantly the environmental stress the play is about, and that MacMillan started the play wanting to write about without knowing what kind of form it would take. A really sad and well-realized story, and a perfect container for it too. I imagine audiences in tears at the end.
There are plenty of things here that would fail in the hands of a lesser writer, mostly inarticulate speech and conversations that never quite complete themselves. This verisimilitude to real conversation gives this play its texture but with less dramatic tension would just fall flat. Here it works brilliantly.
There's no set, no scene changes or changes in lighting or extra sound and no miming, so I would be curious to see how this is performed, that is how the actors orient their bodies to one another and the audience.
December 14, 2013
I went to DC's excellent Studio Theatre with a friend to see a play the name of which I can't recall only to find out it was sold out. We bought tickets to Lungs, being performed at the same time. It's everything you'd want in a play: well written, engagingly acted, funny, insightful, moving. So, when my wife and I were at the Studio a week ago and I saw the script for sale--last one on the shelf--I bought it and immediately read it. Because of the nature of the play, just reading it may not work well, but having seen it a reading was just fine.
The two characters are working through their complicated, sometimes half-baked feelings about bringing a child into the world. This involves their relationship, their temerity at taking this irrevocable step into adulthood, and their ideas about the future of the planet. Their 90-minute dialog moves without markers through hours, from one day to another, over months, and eventually through a lifetime. An extraordinarily satisfying experience for the playgoer or reader, one that stays with you.
(The edition pictured is actually the U.K. version. I read the U.S. version, which the British author Americanized.)
The two characters are working through their complicated, sometimes half-baked feelings about bringing a child into the world. This involves their relationship, their temerity at taking this irrevocable step into adulthood, and their ideas about the future of the planet. Their 90-minute dialog moves without markers through hours, from one day to another, over months, and eventually through a lifetime. An extraordinarily satisfying experience for the playgoer or reader, one that stays with you.
(The edition pictured is actually the U.K. version. I read the U.S. version, which the British author Americanized.)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews