Dreaming

Peter Barnes

'Dreaming' is an unhinged and fervid play, a comic-historical epic set in the bloody aftermath of the Wars of the Roses. Captain John Mallory leads a band of renegades across the field of the Battle of Tewkesbury, where they plunder the bodies and slit the throats of the survivors. Impressed by his ruthlessness, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, a wry twist on Shakespeare's character who complains of being misquoted, offers Mallory and his sword a place in his court, along with power and riches. Mallory just wants to go home to his wife and child, but he's been away six years. In this apocalyptic vision packed with ravishing images, Mallory leads his rag-bag troop across a battle-scarred land on a breathtaking quest in search of a dream - a dream of home. Combining gallows humour and searing lyricism, 'Dreaming' is a haunting and brutally funny story of heroism and human values.