A companion play to She stoops to conquer

Jeff Talbott's new play explores one of the playwright's pet subjects; the role of the gravedigger. Developed in 2015 at TACT's newTACTics New Play Festival, this world premiere has been a long-term goal for the company and provides a darker, gritty companion piece to the season's staging of Georgian-era comedy She Stoops To Conquer. A quietly meditative work, the story centers upon a put-upon gravedigger, whose hard work and determination to support his family is struggling to hold back the threat of society to crush him once and for all.

What is it about?

Meet Baylen, our gravedigger. This working-class man is fiercely determined to provide food for the family table, despite being at the bottom of the social and wealth pile. These struggles are compounded by the inability of his young baby to sleep during the night, and there are more bodies waiting for burial than time to dig their graves.

However, one day, he has a chance meeting with a rich young man, and with it comes the hope of a different life. Baylen is faced with a stark and serious choice to make. A story focusing on class struggle and poverty, this contemporary story is truly timeless and can be told during any era.