A coastline erodes, a house falls into the sea. A mysterious brother and sister arrive looking for answers. Marnie clings to her camera, taking photographs of strangers and places. She has come to say goodbye to a life she never knew whilst her brother Linus is keen to make a fresh start. But when they find Simon and daughter Kelly, reeling in the wake of tragedy, all four lives are to become inextricably linked under the weight of the past. A funny and heartfelt new play about lives lived on shifting sands, In Doggerland is a searching examination of love, family and identity.
First performed at Theatre 503, London, as part of LabFest, 13th June 2011. Box of Tricks, dir: Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder. National tour beginning at The Lowry, Manchester, 7th November 2013. Box of Tricks, dir: Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder.
“Morton-Smith’s script is both poetic and philosophical, a thoughtful meditation on the impact of loss . . . there are some really heart-wrenching moments . . . a touching and funny play that explores the lives of four people brought together by tragedy and hope. ★★★★”
“Morton-Smith ignores the more obvious narrative paths to focus instead on a subtler and more emotionally resonant tale highlighting how people connect with and impact on each other . . . Morton-Smith’s uncanny ear for dialogue, perfectly capturing the randomness of everyday speech as well as the way people reveal information about themselves, and a touching, unshowy denouement demonstrate that [he is] a writer in ascendance.”
