Plays 1: Dealing With Clair / Getting Attention / Play With Repeats / The Treatment

by Martin Crimp

Martin Crimp, among the most successful British playwrights and translators of his generation, demonstrates a powerful modern sensibility and control of language that The Sunday Times calls "harsh, elegant and sardonic ... as if Evelyn Waugh and Bret Easton Ellis had collaborated on a horrifying morality play". These qualities are apparent in this volume, which includes Dealing with Clair, in which a routine real-estate deal results in a mysterious assault on the agent, and The Treatment, which focuses on the fantasies -- sexual and otherwise -- among the young and not so young in New York's Tribeca.

Genres: Plays

352 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2000

About the author

Martin Andrew Crimp (born 14 February 1956 in Dartford, Kent) is a British playwright.

Crimp is sometimes described as a practitioner of the "in-yer-face" school of contemporary British drama, although he rejects the label. He is notable for the astringency of his dialogue, a tone of emotional detachment, a bleak view of human relationships – none of his characters experience love or joy – and latterly, a concern for theatrical form and language rather than an interest in narrative.

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting collection of Crimp's early plays.
In my order of preference: The Treatment, Dealing with Clair, Getting Attention, Play with Repeats.

[Emilia Robson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dealing With Clair

I’ve popped the title of the play there for my own benefit so I know which play it is of the three of these that I’ve logged haha. This play I really really enjoyed - it’s incredibly uniquely written and very bizarre. I always love detailed characters who have clearly been intricately formed and Crimp did that brilliantly; each character is believably human, even if they are very unnerving and odd (cough, James). The only fault I really have about about this play is that the ending felt very very open, but at the same time I enjoyed that about it because it was done effectively, with the mention of the vine being the last line from Toby after it was brought up so many times throughout the play. I think the narrative of this play was great and tension was built beautifully throughout (especially during James’ phone call with Claire’s mum). Also, I loved the fact that Crimp wrote the other side of the two phone calls for the benefit of the actors when performing them as monologues - I thought that was brilliant. Overall, I really enjoyed this play - it’s fantastically simple, but very very weird and extremely unique.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I’ve read a play... probably school days to be honest. But I was inspired by a review in the Guardian about one of Crimp’s plays & thought I simply must read that! I was so not disappointed at all. His writing is brilliant and so moving. How he brings the unusual (I hope it’s unusual at least) into day to day life. The characters are fascinating; they create a sense of intrepidation and yet strange comfort before the fall. I’ll definitely be reading more & it’s inspired me to read more plays too. Thank you for these... stunning and moving!

[Corvyn Appleby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not crazy about The Treatment but the other plays in this are so insanely good and laser-focused to my exact wavelength....maybe an instant addition to my top 5 playwrights ever??