Beautifully written, funny and moving, The Drawer Boy is a multi-award winning, bitter-sweet tale of the power of storytelling, friendship, and the very thin line between truth and fiction.
Miles, an energetic and idealistic young actor, knocks on the door of an isolated farmhouse in rural Canada, seeking material for a new play he's working on. He discovers Morgan, a gruff farmer working tooth and nail to survive, and Angus, his lifelong friend, who has long since lost track of the world.
But when the farmers let the city-boy into their home, Miles' search for a story gradually unearths a devastating truth that threatens to destroy the tranquil lives of his hosts forever.
Michael Healey's play The Drawer Boy was premiered at Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto, in 1999. It won the 1999 Governor General's Award.
It was staged at the Finborough Theatre, London, in June 2012.
'A beautifully written play. It moves from toughness and hilarity to something devastating and tender. By taking off from an earlier Passe Muraille drama, The Farm Show, and seeing that theatrical event from a new angle, it is one of the few plays to create an authentic tradition in our culture' Michael Ondaatje
'Amusing, affecting and evocative... Satirical yet tender, this is a small delight' — The Times
'The Drawer Boy is another example of the best of Canadian theatre' — StageWon
'Superb... funny and moving... serves as a welcome reminder of Michael Healey's importance as a national storyteller whose unique voice deserves a venue, be it in the UK or Canada' — British Theatre Guide
'A modern classic-in-the-making that deserves to be seen more widely... Healey's beautifully structured script playfully contrasts the truth with what we'd like to believe... an impressive mix of tragedy and life-affirming loveliness.' — The Stage
'Emotionally engaging and effective... ambitious and fresh' — A Younger Theatre
About the Author :
Michael Healey spent a decade as an actor before writing his first play. His second play, The Drawer Boy, was a surprise success and gave him eight years of runway to learn how to write. He needed every minute. Plays from this period include Generous, Courageous, Proud, The Innocent Eye Test, Plan B, and Rune Arlidge. He has collaborated with dead, unwitting playwrights like Chekhov, Molnar, and Hecht and MacArthur on adaptations for Stratford, Shaw, and Soulpepper. More recently he has adapted nonfiction by journalists in plays like The Master Plan and Rogers v. Rogers.
Review :
The Drawer Boy is a beautifully written play. It moves from toughness and hilarity to something devastating and tender. By taking off from an earlier Passe Muraille Drama, The Farm ShowA", and seeing that theatrical event from a new angle, it is one of the few plays to create an authentic tradition in our culture.A" - Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient
