The Road, The House, The Road by Howard Barker

The Road, the House, the Road

Thu 13th Jul 2006, 20:00 on BBC Radio 4 FM

By Howard Barker

A new philosophical tragedy, commissioned by Radio 4 to mark the 60th birthday of the distinguished playwright Howard Barker.

Set in a violent 16th-century Europe, a wealthy aristocratic lady induces a traveling scholar to carry out a terrible crime.

As for her soldier husband....

By Howard Barker.

Producer/Director:…….Richard Wortley
Johannes Aventinus/The scholar:…….Michael Pennington

Barbara/The lady:……Barbara Flynn

Biro, the Soldier:…..Sean Baker

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Radio Times, 13th July 2006, Frances Lass

If you are looking for an unchallenging listen, tune in to something else , because Howard Barker’s new play, commissioned by Radio 4 to mark the dramatist’s 60th birthday, is a hard nut to crack. But it does resonate with great humour, philosophical twists and rich language, exploring the nature of scholarship, power, and human motivation. It takes as its central character Johannes Aventinus, a real-life.

16th-century humanist, and fictionalises his last journey home to see his new-born baby. On the road he is waylaid by a lout who calls him “filth”, and sends him to visit a house where a woman requires that he kill her. Will the scholar comply? And why does her library have his childhood scrawls in its collection? Do not expect to have easy answers.

Howard Barker: 'I have contempt for messages in plays. I'm not trying to influence anyone'