Description

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Following their acclaimed shows On Ego, On Religion, On Emotion and On Love the On Theatre now tackle empathy, in an exploration of the expanse and limits of our capacity to understand one another.

Bea is lively, naughty and full of life. When she asks something of her mother that no parent would want to be asked, and of her only friend 'Not Gay Ray', they are both forced to challenge the boundaries of their own compassion.

Praise For…

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"A cunningly constructed play. For a show about death and the limits of compassion, Bea is Surprisingly joyous. At times it is killingly funny..."Lyn Gardner, The Guardian

"In Bea [Gordon] has moved from self-identity to how that self communicates and is understood by others - that is, empathy. In the process he has transformed the philosophy lecture into a subtle, complex, challenging piece of theatre... It works. The pace and structure are deftly controlled and layered... "Richard Dennis, The Financial Times

"What's striking in the comedic and non-naturalistic impulses Gordon brings into play. He shows us not the bedridden body, but rather Bea's spirit, the lustily bouncy young woman trapped inside... The final image of release - Bea leaping up once again and dancing on the bed - is a life affirming, and death-affirming, glimpse of ecstasy."Kate Bassett, The Independent

"A subtle, complex, challenging piece of theatre... It works. The pace and structure are deftly controlled and layered... " - Richard Dennis, The Financial Times

Direct and frank unlike any other play I’ve seen this year, and beautifully played” - Michael Coveney, Whatsonstage.com

A piece of inventive, touching, and often disconcertingly amusing theatre” - Daily Telegraph