Grace of God, an original work for the theatre and a critical analysis of the play and its development

Abstract

This thesis consists of two parts. The first part is a critical analysis of an original work for the theatre entitled Grace of God. It explores the writing process from conception to the final draft presented here in this thesis. The critical analysis reflects primarily upon the establishment of character, theme and a dramatic structure; it examines how theatrical conventions and ideologies affected the development of the play. The second part is the play text. Grace of God is a homecoming play, which explores themes of religion, race and identity within the microcosm of a family. It is the story of two estranged daughters, Anna and Grace, who return to their childhood home in Devon where their father, Edward is dying. Grace, the adopted daughter has not returned to the family home for years, having had a turbulent relationship with their mother; during the course of the play, Anna attempts to uncover the cause of this estrangement. The play centres on the idea that wrongdoings have to be confronted in order for both victim and perpetrator to move forwards. Over the course of the night, Grace, Anna and Eleanor are forced to confront the issues that tore their family apart.