Jim Cartwright

PLAYWRI GHT
Jim Cartwright
• Jim Cartwright was an English playwright, the cofounder of 'Acme
Acting Company'.

• He was born in 1958 (age 63), in Lancashire England. He was

born into a working-class family and left school at age 16.

• Writing over 10 plays, his first play was called Road which won
many awards, including the Samuel Beckett Award.

• His works have been translated into over 35 languages, showing its
popularity; his works are taught in school and universities.

• 'Road' and 'Two' are both plays about the 'pub culture/life' in
Northern England.
Context
He was born in 1958, in Farnworth Lancashire England. This is the same that 'Road' is set in, it
was set in the 80's when Cartwright would have been in his 20s, experiencing adult life.
He was born into a working-class family which shows he would have experienced the
same/similar financial and class problems shown in the play.
It is set in Thatcher's England which he lived through; he would have heard what the
people around him would have thought as well as having his own thoughts on it so he could
show that in the play.
Style of writing
• Cartwright doesn't have a set style of writing, but his works do include dialogue mixed with
monologues.
• Some of his works started as a few monologues but were then expanded on with dialogue.
• 'Road' can be seen as a comedy as well as pathos, there are dark themes and jokes, but it also
makes the audience feel sorry for the characters; a lot of the jokes are to make the darker
scenes lighter for the audience, to make them a little less concerning and in a way, funny.
 Road
THE PLAY

WRITTEN IN 1985
Themes and
issues
• Some themes in 'Road' are
love, death and family drama.
• Some issues are financial
problems, class, poverty, lack
of morale and joblessness.
Character Biographies
SKIN LAD
• Late teens (17/19)
Skin lad is part of a skinhead gang.
He had mental health issues, he acts before
he thinks and is suspected to have
family problems and the people in "Road"
see him as a "nutter". He doesn't seem to
have many friends, the only relationships
we see him have been romantic and family.
JOEY AND CLARE
• Late teens (17/19)
They're in a relationship, it's obvious
that Clare deeply cares for Joey.
Joey goes on a hunger strike and so
does Clare. We see that he doesn't see hope
in his future, he says his Job was robbed
from him, we can assume he's dealing
with depression. Clare wants to help but
doesn't seem like she knows how other than
being there with him. Clare ends up dying
from starvation.
BRENDA
• Brenda is the mom to Carol, she does
anything to get money, expects her
daughter to give it to her, she'll gamble
and give her body away for it. She is an
alcoholic and begs people to buy her
drinks. She doesn't seem to care what her
daughter does, she is emotionally
unavailable. She treats her daughter more
like a friend.
CAROL
• Late teens
Daughter to Brenda, doesn't get on with
her mom well. She does things for herself
like ironing and earning money. Carol will
go out and not listen to her mom, she's
quite secretive and rude to Brenda. We can
assume this is because of how Brenda
treats her.
VALERIE SCULLERY
• Mid-thirties • The narrator
She is a mother, working class and has a He guides the story along. He introduces
husband who isn't emotionally there for the audience to the characters.
her. She feels used as the only time she Everyone knows him, he gets on with
really gets attention is in bed. them.
She struggles with money and her
husband doesn't give her much, if
anything. She has to borrow from other
people, and it's shown that she feels
bad. He is a drunk and it affects her
mental health. She's fallen out of love.
Historical Context
Road is based in the 1980s in a working-class
area in Lancashire where poverty was a big
issue.
The prime minister at the time was Margaret
Thatcher.
Unemployment was at an all-time high.