The Southbury Child (NHB Modern Plays)

Raffish, urbane and frequently drunk, David Highland has kept a grip on his remote coastal parish through a combination of disordered charm and high-handed determination. When his faith impels him to take a hard line with a bereaved parishioner, he finds himself dangerously isolated from public opinion. As his own family begins to fracture, David must face a future that threatens to extinguish not only his position in the town, but everything he stands for. Stephen Beresford's play The Southbury Child is a darkly comic drama exploring family and community, the savage divisions of contemporary society, and the rituals that punctuate our lives. It was co-produced by Chichester Festival Theatre and the Bridge Theatre, London, in 2022, starring Alex Jennings and directed by Nicholas Hytner.

Stephen Beresford trained at RADA and worked as an actor before writing for television and film, winning a BAFTA for his screenplay for the feature film Pride (2014). His plays include: The Southbury Child (Chichester Festival Theatre & Bridge Theatre, London, 2022); Three Kings (Old Vic, London, 2020); Fanny & Alexander (Old Vic, London, 2018), a stage adaptation of the film by Ingmar Bergman; and The Last of the Haussmans (National Theatre, London, 2012).