Square Rounds

Directly inspired by events during the Gulf War, this play looks at the history of relations between the East and the West, and warfare in particular. Tony Harrison is the author of The Trackers of Oxyrhynchus.

A 'theatre piece' rather than a play, 'Square Rounds' is a meditation on armaments pioneers in the Great War. Written in verse and played by a large cast of women (some of whom have to get in drag to play the male boffins), the piece is a theatrical exploration of the double-edged nature of 'scientific progress'. 'Square Rounds' premiered at the Olivier Theatre, National Theatre, London, in October 1992.

This is the story of a little girl in a small Appalachian mountain town during the depression. She had no relatives in the area except her mother and dad, yet she captivated an entire community with her comic and precocious antics. There was never a dull moment in Hayesville, North Carolina, when this little Pixie was Winding Round the Square. Go with her to meet the people she loved, and travel back to another time and place. It was the hardest of times, and yet the best of times because the spirit of the mountain people made it so. You will feel that you have lived these times with them.