“Jennifer Farmer’s powerful new prison play is an intense story of shame, loneliness and the redemptive power of female friendship. The acting is incendiary.” The Times
“This is a gripping, beautifully staged and deeply affecting production.” Time Out
“Compact Failure is as complex as the world it creates: multi-layered and tangled, full of tiny moments of flickering hope…” The Guardian
Chelle and Denise go way back. Denise, with her loud mouth and long extensions, makes the ‘same old, same old’ of prison life not so bad. But when Denise leaves – no goodbye, no nothing – Chelle figures she’s just about run out of friendships. Then Ruthie walks in, bringing new hope and lots of laughter.
In a place where true friendship is gold dust and rules beg to be broken, Chelle and Ruthie dare to strike a bond despite everything that stands in their way. Question is, can it survive?
Compact Failure was commissioned by Clean Break, the theatre, education and new writing company for women with personal experience of the criminal justice system. This year Clean Break celebrates its 25th anniversary. For more details, visit www.cleanbreak.org.uk
“Passionate, dynamic writing”
The Times on Breathing
A native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Jennifer received a BFA (Honours) in Dramatic Writing from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, prior to moving to London almost six years ago. Her play Breathing, written under the Soho Theatre’s Writers’ Attachment Programme, was produced and written under the Soho Theatre’s Writers’ Attachment Programme, was produced and Breathing directed by Paul Higgins at the Latchmere Theatre last October. Jennifer’s radio play for BBC Radio 3’s The Wire, clean, was broadcast last July and selected as Time Out Critic’s Choice and Guardian was broadcast last July and selected as Time Out Critic’s Choice and Guardian clean Pick of the Day. Currently under commission by BBC Radio 4, The Red Room and Pentabus Theatre, Jennifer has just been named the 2004/05 Sheila Lemon Writer-in-Residence at the Bush Theatre.
Sign language-interpreted performance on 17 November
Post-show discussion (also sign language-interpreted) with writer Jennifer Farmer on 17 November.
