“[A] gloriously rich, mind-expanding three-hour play, which explores the complex relationship between China and America.” —Guardian on Chimerica

“Unflinching… Theatre that provokes in the best way, without lurid melodrama or sentimentality, but with wit and tenderness…demands that we watch and listen.” —Times on it felt empty when the heart went at first but it is alright now

“A cracking piece… Dramatically gripping… A richly absorbing and inventive play.” —Telegraph on NSFW

Lucy Kirkwood has swiftly made a name for herself as one of Britain’s leading young playwrights and is widely considered to be the natural successor to the great Caryl Churchill. Kirkwood’s plays are infused with a sharp wit and a fierce intelligence, taking an unflinching look at the issues affecting our world today. This collection gathers together five of Kirkwood’s plays, including Chimerica, Tinderbox, it felt empty when the heart went at first but it is alright now, small hours, and NSFW.

Lucy Kirkwood is a British playwright and screenwriter whose plays include Mosquitoes, The Children, Chimerica (Evening Standard Award, Laurence Olivier Award, Susan Smith Blackburn Prize), small hours, Tinderbox, it felt empty when the heart went at first but it is alright now (John Whiting Award), Psychogeography, Hedda, and NSFW, among others. She won the inaugural Berlin Lee UK Playwrights Award in 2013.