HOPE IS A FOUR LETTER WORD
written by Gobscure
directed by Ali Pritchard
performed by Zoe Labert and Rebecca Glendenning-Laycock
with additional material written and performed by Harrison Rowley-Lynn

"Under Pritchard's nimble direction, the piece offers light and dark in equal measure, laced with both broad humour and dry wit. It is often very funny, with a beautifully nuanced Glendenning-Laycock deploying expert comic timing without ever undermining the seriousness of the subject matter." Tracey Sinclair - THE STAGE - 4 Stars

Experience a groundbreaking production crafted by an award-winning creative team – two intertwining monologues that delve into similar themes from opposing perspectives. ​

‘I lost my way. Twelve years underground, isolation, different names, a lost self. I had arrived at a deeply wrong way of responding to social problems. Prison lies at the end of a road taken. ... now more than twenty years in prison, I share with other women daily issues of parenting, education, and health. I have turned sixty. I think about how do we protect our planet’ These profound words are from Kathy Boudin, a convicted terrorist and founding member of the US militant Weather Underground organization. The group engaged in bombings of government buildings to express opposition to U.S. foreign policy and racism.   

The second narrative unfolds after enduring two serious crimes without support. Our character finds themselves in a psych-ICU-prison, where they encounter Kathy Boudin's words. This unbelievable and true tale is rife with ridiculous and cruel absurdities. Beginning in a psych-ICU-prison and concluding in a river with water cooling and drowning the insane narrative, it liberates our character as a kingfisher gracefully flies past.

Witness an extraordinary journey that challenges perceptions and captivates audiences with its raw, emotional intensity. 

Recorded live at Alphabetti Theatre 2024
(audio version recorded and edited by Matt Jamie)