Laurence Olivier

Hear from Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens

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• published: 21 May 2015
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Hear from Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens in this #GoogleHangout, which begins at 13:00 on Thu 21 May.   The most prolific British playwright of his generation, Simon’s passionate plays have been produced extensively in the UK, Europe and America, meeting with critical acclaim and winning numerous awards.   Simon now joins us as we stage the world premiere of The Funfair – his brand new adaptation of Ödön von Horváth’s 20th century masterpiece Kasimir and Karoline – which sets two young lovers in the throes of a break up against the hypnotic whirl of a funfair.   Dark, political and very funny, the adaptation transports the play to a contemporary landscape, where a roar of defiance stands against a backdrop of a looming economic crisis.   Speaking about Horváth’s play, Simon said: “It’s an extraordinarily savage and extraordinarily human exploration of the lives of the working-class people of Munich. But it’s my theory that actually, this is Manchester’s great undiscovered play. It’s so Mancunian in its spirit.”   During the Hangout, Simon will talk more about The Funfair, tell us what inspired him to become a writer, and give his take on the theatre scene in the North. He’ll also discuss his own writing process and offer advice to anyone interested in playwriting.   You can put your questions to Simon live or submit them before the event begins. Write them in the comments section or tweet @HOME_mcr using the hashtag #AskSimon .   You can see The Funfair at HOME – Manchester’s new centre for international contemporary art, theatre and film – from Thu 13 May to Sat 13 Jun. Find out more and book tickets here http://homemcr.org/the-funfair Follow us @HOME_mcr on Twitter - http://bit.ly/1zfOV2y Watch the Hangout on our website - http://bit.ly/1GH03bz Watch the Hangout on YouTube - http://bit.ly/1GERfQK Watch the Hangout on Google+ - http://bit.ly/1znV4Ks Brought to you in association with Virgin Media Business http://www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk