It is not a play you enjoy. It is a play you survive—and you are better, and more thoughtful, for the experience.
Ray is a man living in fear. He has rebuilt his life and is in a relationship with a woman closer to his own age. He is defensive and desperate to maintain the narrative that he is not a "predator." He argues that the relationship was an anomaly, a moment of madness, and insists he is not a pedophile. He is a complex antagonist—repulsive in his actions, yet humanized by his regret and frailty. blackbird david harrower
Fifteen years prior, when Una was 12 and Ray was 40, they had a sexual relationship. Ray was arrested and imprisoned. Now, Una has tracked him down after seeing his photo in a trade magazine. Over the course of roughly 90 minutes, the two engage in a volatile, fast-paced confrontation. They dissect their past, argue over the nature of their relationship, and attempt to assign—or deflect—blame. The tension escalates until the play's shocking and ambiguous conclusion. It is not a play you enjoy