Samuel Adamson
Clocks and Whistles

Henry watches. He watches Anne – who is helped or hindered by the older man in her life, the enigmatic Alec – as she tries to make it as an actor. And he watches Trevor, who hangs out in seedy clubs and his flat in Paddington, as he tries to make it as a poet. As the lives of all three interlock, they drift into a world of sexual and emotional confusion. Clocks and Whistles was premiered at the Bush Theatre, London in April 1996, directed by Dominic Dromgoole. ( Cast 3m, 2f)

“This is another of those astonishingly confident first plays that the Bush has been discovering for years. The writing is crisp, cutting and elegant.”
~ John Peter, Sunday Times

“The display of twentysomething petulance that opens Samuel Adamson's first play is breathtaking in its well-observed shallowness … Adamson achieves that rare thing – a study in superficiality, crassness, and emotional blockage that is profound, subtle, and full of insight about human nature.... Adamson's play sparkles with surface hilarity... ”
~ Clare Bayley, New Statesman and Society

“....a brightly flared firework which announces Adamson's precocious talent with a bang.”
~ Nick Curtis, Evening Standard

Samuel Adamson
Grace Note

When Grace decides to leave her sheltered accommodation and return to her old home, her children start to worry. Only Ellie, her daughter-in-law, seems to understand her need to dwell on the past and her passion for the Australian soprano Joan Sutherland. The family gather round to protect their inheritance, but behind the mask of genteel senility is cunning: Grace has plans of her own. Grace Note was first presented by The Peter Hall Company at the Old Vic Theatre, London, in 1997, starring Geraldine McEwan as Grace. (Cast 3m, 3f)

“Grace Note is in my experience the first play ever to tackle Alzheimer's in any real detail … the drama, like its title character, has considerable reserves of unexpected strength.”
~ Sheridan Morely, International Herald Tribune

“The writing is so light, it elegantly and amusingly defies the gravity of its theme … [Adamson] keeps the tensions going like a professional knitter.”
~ Kate Kellaway, New Statesman and Society

“He has a gentle, elliptical style that is refreshing in a young dramatist ... The dialogue is often very funny, the wit is fresh and tart, and Adamson has the gift of making you care about his characters.”
~ Sarah Hemming, The Financial Times

“...this play will commend itself to societies who seek opportunities to perform plays of unique and exceptional quality.”
~ Amateur Stage