Rust and Bone

"Time was I had strong hands. 

Now they've been broken so many times

the bones are like teacups in a sack.

You get one hard shot before they shatter."

Adapted from the book of short stories by Craig Davidson.

Ben loses his leg in a horrific accident and is forced to rebuild and reconsider his life.  But what life is there for a man unmanned?

Eddie has at one time broken all twenty-eight bones in his right hand.  Once broken, they never heal right, and the fighter's career descends to bouts that have less to do with sport than with repentance.

Jay breeds dogs – pitt bulls - that he fights in illegal underground matches. Jay’s wife wants a child but does he deserve to be a father?

These three lives are interwoven into a taut gripping work for the stage.

LENGTH

65 minutes

CAST

3 Males

Reviews

“Stories overlap. Worlds collide. Threads upon threads upon threads are interwoven to create a wonderfully rich tapestry. This is a remarkable piece of storytelling. In terms of form and style, Rust and Bone is one of the best constructed pieces of theatre I have seen for a long time.”

Australian Stage.

“Sinewy, potent and evocative...  Lewis's plaiting of stories is as artful as it is insanely demanding on the cast, who must morph between radically different roles, swiftly and precisely."

The Australian

“Rust and Bone is a magnificent play.  This is the kind of show that illustrates the unique, incredibly special gift of live performance. No film, television show or YouTube clip will ever compare or deliver anything near this. It’s far too dark to use the word ‘entertainment’, but for the strong hearted, it’s a highly recommended evening of intensity.”

Arts Hub. 

“These stories and characters and the rawness with which they’re rendered would be compelling enough, but it’s the form Lewis has given them that makes this work one of the best of the year. Lewis and McMahon poke and provoke the collective beast and it roars. This is brutal, tell- it-like-it-is theatre that trades eccentricities and affectations for the real deal: writing and acting. How much more do you need?”

Crikey

“The prose is charged with anguish and regret.  The dialogue is constant and unrelenting.  This is another starkly moving play in the Stories Like These series, a superbly executed piece of theatre.”

Time Out

“Lewisʼs symphony of Davidsonʼs short stories is dark, somehow nearly staccato throughout with its blow after blow, but incredibly beautiful.”

The Music

“Compelling in the dark beauty of its writing and the depths of emotion to which its actors take their characters.”

Stage Whispers

“A taut 65 minutes that rarely lets the tension go.”

Theatre People

“My expectations were sky-high and believe it or not this theatre production was actually better.”

Same, Same

“If you like your men crippled and flawed, you're going to love Rust and Bone”

Shit on Your Play

PURCHASE

Available for purchase athttps://australianplays.org/script/ASC-1285