M is a writer. M is a mother. M is a woman.
The triumph of M's hit play is hijacked by motherhood. She is burnt out, angry, lonely, craving intimacy but disengaged, and terrified of the future.
She wants to tell her story, her way. But everyone keeps giving her their opinions on who she is, who she ought to be, and how she's fucking everything up.
Fiercely funny and brutally honest, Jane Upton's play (the) Woman shatters the glossy veneer of motherhood, exposing its raw, messy truth and what happens when a woman dares to question the definition of (her)self. It was shortlisted for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, and first performed by New Perspectives on tour of the UK in 2025.
'Shocking... whiplash-inducing... a well-orchestrated metatheatricality, creating the thrilling sense that the play is being written live... bold and unapologetic... Men should see this, too'
— The Stage
'Exceptional... shines a light into those places, those feelings that are often kept hidden... Comic, touching and incredibly thought-provoking... It's rare to find a piece that might genuinely change your perspective on life and relationships, but this is one'
— Reviews Hub
About the Author :
Jane Upton is a playwright whose work includes: (the) Woman (New Perspectives / Royal & Derngate tour, 2025); The Price of Home (Paines Plough & Derby Theatre); Finding Nana (New Perspectives, 2017 & 2018); All the Little Lights (George Devine Award, 2016; Fifth Word UK tour, 2017); Watching the Living, an adaptation of two Daphne du Maurier short stories (New Perspectives Theatre UK tour, 2014); Swimming (Menagerie Theatre Hotbed Festival, 2013/Soho/Edinburgh Festival, 2014); and Bones (Fifth Word, Edinburgh Festival/UK tour 2011–2012).
She was the winner of the 2024 Adopt a Playwright Award run by Off West End Plays and Playwrights.
Author photo by David Hammond
Review :
'Gut-punching... a crash course in the reality of motherhood... every scene chips away at the myths... metatheatre at its finest, with the play feeling as if it's being written live... blends bellyaching humour with intimate revelations... a play that feels like a roar from a place of isolation... complex and wonderfully considered'
'Shocking... whiplash-inducing... a well-orchestrated metatheatricality, creating the thrilling sense that the play is being written live... bold and unapologetic... Men should see this, too'
'Exceptional... shines a light into those places, those feelings that are often kept hidden... Comic, touching and incredibly thought-provoking... It's rare to find a piece that might genuinely change your perspective on life and relationships, but this is one'
'Raw, honest and unfiltered... incredibly well crafted'
'Impressively raw... sharp and witty... devastating'
