After I had graduated from LAMDA, I decided to keep living in London. I wanted to write about relationships and power. I had been thinking about the differences between British people and American people, specifically issues of what is private and what is public, issues of shame and the ideas of parenting, wanting a child and knowing in this world, without a uterus, it's tricky. So I started writing. The original draft was 242 pages, half a ream of paper. I brought that draft to my agent, Rachel, who I had only been with for a few months at that time, I dropped it on her desk it made a loud noise and she jumped. She looked at me like I was insane. And told me to cut it down. Everybody told me to cut it down. And I did, again and again. Now the play's like 113 pages or something. And the interesting thing about that is, the structure has stayed exactly the same, that is the number and arrangement of scenes is today the same as it was in the first draft. I cut half a script's worth of dialogue. Now, thinking about it, there is a part of me that thinks I probably cut too much. Maybe one day I'll restore some of what was cut.
This is a very dark, bleak play. And I think a lot of people have trouble with that aspect. The characters' are largely flawed and go largely without redemption. But then so do a lot of people. I think there's a lot about gay parenting and adoption that need to be discussed at present.
A RATIONAL FEAR OF WATER
play
