Frances Poet Livres

'They say we're like swans. Ruddy beautiful graceful things on the surface of a lake but underneath we're paddling like mad.' Maggie and Gordon first met, dancing to Rod Stewart songs, in 1971. Now in their sixties, and still very much in love, they've been finishing each other's songs all their marriage. But now Maggie is feeling foggy and some days the songs are all she can remember. Her son and his new girlfriend are coming to dinner, and her best friend is asking questions. Frances Poet's play Maggie May is an extraordinary drama about an ordinary family who must balance the challenges of daily life whilst living with dementia. A heartfelt and inspiring story of hope, it was first produced in 2020 by Leeds Playhouse, Curve Theatre, Leicester, and Queen's Theatre Hornchurch, directed by Jemima Levick.

Jack is proud of his work at the Clyde shipyards. His wife, Beanie, who is nursing him through asbestosis, thinks he's a fool. But the real test of their marriage comes when they discover that the dusty overalls Jack brought home for Beanie to wash have poisoned her too. A big-hearted play about what it means to entwine our lives with another.

Frances Poet's play Adam is the remarkable true story of a young trans man having to make that choice and begin his journey. It charts Adam's progress from Egypt to Scotland, across borders and genders, in his search for a place to call home.

Across Edinburgh, five souls stagger towards each other, hoping to be transformed. Full of tenderness and humour, Frances Poet's play Still is a cathartic story of life, loss and joy.

Maddy and Rory are devoted parents to 3-year-old Joshua, committed to keeping him happy and safe. But when an everyday visit to a supermarket cafe turns into a far more troubling incident, their trust even in those closest to them is shattered. Fear and doubt consume them, until they reach a savage breaking point.