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Along side A Life Of War, this is the play that I am most pleased with and proud of. Initially an idea inspired by the works of Ibsen and the photographs by Jean Guichard, The Lighthouse was simply a drama set in a stark location. What developed was a highly tense and emotional piece both dark and light in places, ultimately playing as a form of domestic tragedy. The plot revolves around two men, a father and a son, who have a turbulent past. When the son returns to his disabled father, a difficult conflict ensues to try and get to the roots of the tensions and arguments so that something if anything can be resolved. Opening with a beating, then encompassing a rape and ending with the near sacrifice of the father on the edge of the rocks, I feel the piece is tremendously powerful.
The idea was conceived and began on paper in September 2000. From there, it got me a place on a new writers course at the Birmingham Rep theatre and subsequently it was performed to a paying audience in July this year. For me, it is the structure that is so dramatic, using two monologues, a blackout a silent scene and three scenes of dramatic action, that seems to work so well in heightening the tension of virtually every line. The play also contains swearing as an expression of futility through Ivor, something that shocks but then tames the reader/audience. It's had many rewrites and a lot of work, to create the three acts, eleven scenes. Unfortunately there is no surviving computer copy, so I am desperately trying to retype it all out. In the meantime here are a few scenes. Enjoy.
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