Angry Alan, by multi-award winning playwright Penelope Skinner, has won a prestigious Scotsman Fringe First Award. Widely regarded as one of the UK’s most significant feminist playwrights, Skinner’s darkly comic and provocative new play explores masculinity in crisis.
After stumbling across the Men’s Right’s Movement, Skinner began writing Angry Alan, a story about a man being radicalised online by an extremist movement. Searing, timely and achingly funny, this play explores how any extreme political viewpoint can take root in someone’s consciousness if they are vulnerable, and how those who propagate such extreme views aren’t necessarily all they are presenting themselves as.
The Scotsman’s world-famous Fringe First awards have been recognising outstanding new writing premiered at the festival since 1973. In their review of Angry Alan, Tim Cornwell writes, Angry Alan marks playwright Penelope Skinner’s welcome return to the Fringe with a brand-new show after nearly a decade. Skinner discovered the Men’s Movement in 2016; her American partner Donald Sage Mackay, playing Roger, lends an American verisimilitude to the piece. He is perfectly cast, adroitly capturing the character in the simplest staging, with YouTube videos on a screen behind, (the real thing, we’re told). …like the best work, helped by Mackay’s dead-straight portrayal, this piece asks plenty of questions.
Having already sold out its Edinburgh run, extra shows will today go on sale for Monday 13th August at 14:00 and 15:20 and Tuesday 14th August at 16:40.
Penelope Skinner comments, “Making Angry Alan has been a joyful collaboration and audience reactions to the show have been amazing. We hope the play offers an opportunity to engage in conversation and action. We are so excited, pleased and grateful to receive a Fringe First, and to be here in Edinburgh telling this story.
Angry Alan is at Underbelly Cowgate (Big Belly) every day until Sunday 26th August at 15:20. It is presented by Francesca Moody Productions and Popcorn Group in association with Underbelly and SEARED.
