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In the ancient play The Frogs, which has survived 2.5 thousand years and been a lynchpin of many hundreds of academic careers, Dionysus and his slave (eesh) Xanthius go in desperate search of funny bits they can do. Some good funny bits include: spanking, calling the audience idiots, and slagging off the guy who once gave the author a bad review.

We talk ancient Greek theatre funding, the looming threat of (Spartan) war, and which writers we would bring back from the dead.

Content Warnings: War/Slavery/Death/Execution/Murder/Sexism

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Find us @playground_pod on Instagram
Chat to host Nancy @N_Netherwood on various
Chat to host Sam @Samwebbercool2 on Instagram

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A 300 year epic told through 17 minute portraits, Joel Tan's No Particular Order is a very heavy going, incredible piece of writing detailing the rise and fall(?) of an unnamed despot in an unnamed country in an unnamed time.

We talk war, dictatorships, and whether ART can ever do justice to the atrocities that so many must suffer.

Content Warnings: War/Fascism/Sexual Assault/Murder/Seeking Asylum/Racism/Sexism/Death/Child Death/Animal Death/Gore/Most Other Traumatic Events

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Find us @playground_pod on Instagram
Chat to host Nancy @N_Netherwood on various
Chat to host Sam @Samwebbercool2 on Instagram

Theme music this time: Monk in the wind - Drums Ethno Choir Monk Voice Drone World Hum Action Dark Cinematic Music Surround.wav by szegvari -- https://freesound.org/s/609034/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

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Noël Coward has a legendary reputation - and this play lives up to it!

Otto, Gilda and Leo all love each other, but due to the world's boring machinations they must keep trying out monogamy - can they, as a three, discover a new... design for living????

We talk throuples, flouncy theatre comedy, and the timelessness of trying to find a new... design for living.

Content Warnings: Homophobia/Conservatism.

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Chat to host Nancy @N_Netherwood on various
Chat to host Sam @Samwebbercool2 on Instagram

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We're doing a musical! And trying our very best to discuss the published script rather than the four thousand different live shows that Nancy has obsessively watched.

This 2013 show is an adaptation of the controversial book (and cult film) American Psycho, but infused with synth and backflips. Strongly recommend listening to the soundtrack for this one as well as reading the play - although for reasons discussed these will! not! match!

We talk psychology, stock markets, and the relevancy of this kind of guy today.

Content Warnings: Murder/Death/Sexual Assault/Sex Work/Racism/Child Death/Drug Use/Podcast Bros

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Find us @playground_pod on Instagram
Chat to host Nancy @N_Netherwood on various
Chat to host Sam @Samwebbercool2 on Instagram

The theme music this time is SON OF PSYCHO by MadGravityStudio -- https://freesound.org/s/832440/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

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Football! Wait no soccer - Soccer!

This Pulitzer-nommed play from 2016 follows an U17s indoor girls soccer team as they warm up for various games. Very little happens, and it's one of the most devastating plays we've ever read.

We talk teen archetypes, coming of age, and (unfortunately) whether or not certain play-structures are mimicking of the male bedroom experience.

Content Warnings: Death/racism/bullying/sports

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Find us @playground_pod on Instagram
Chat to host Nancy @N_Netherwood on various
Chat to host Sam @Samwebbercool2 on Instagram

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'The trashiest play we've ever done.'

Content Warnings: Murder/Drugs/Classism

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Chat to host Nancy @N_Netherwood on various
Chat to host Sam @Samwebbercool2 on Instagram (and go find @rootlingtheatre for his puppet antics)

Theme music this episode: Spooky music by Victor_Natas -- https://freesound.org/s/560181/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

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After an infamously terrible debut, this classic Russian play went on to define naturalism, changing how we make theatre in the West forever. It is also full of sad theatre makers, which may go some way to explain its enduring popularity with theatre makers.

We talk 3D characters, endurance, and theatres first goth icon.

Content Warnings: Suicide/Ageism/Infant death/Mortality

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Chat to host Nancy @N_Netherwood on various
Chat to host Sam @Samwebbercool2 on Instagram (and go find @rootlingtheatre for his puppet antics)

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A travelling 'Odditorium' is struggling to make ends meet, and as a change of tactic the performers start trying to make themselves as normal as can be. If you can see how bleak this is about to get, then congratulations on having more insight than Riley, the owner of this circus.

We talk fables, otherness, and the futility of trying to fit in.

Content Warnings: Domestic abuse/Transphobia/Ableism/Child Abuse/Forced Surgery

Have some feedback? A play you'd like us to cover?

Chat to host Nancy @N_Netherwood on various
Chat to host Sam @Samwebbercool2 on Instagram (and go find @rootlingtheatre for his puppet antics)