Pretend You Have Big Buildings
A tender and funny play about growing up in Romford in the shadow of Canary Wharf.
1995. Big buildings are rising in London's Docklands. But marooned miles to the east, half-in and half-out of the city, Romford has not been invited to the party. Confused about its identity, the inhabitants of the 'only town in London with its own ring road' are trying to cope. The relationships they forge have painful implications, in this poetic and passionate play that explores growing up, identity and loss.
Ben Musgrave's play Pretend You Have Big Buildings won the 2005 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting and was first performed at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, in 2007.
'An exceptional play... original, sophisticated, intelligent... and highly entertaining' Brenda Blethyn, Bruntwood Playwriting Competition panel of judges
Ben Musgrave is a playwright who grew up in Britain, Bangladesh and India. His debut play, Pretend You Have Big Buildings, won first prize in the inaugural Bruntwood Playwriting Competition and was premiered at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, in 2007. He has also written extensively for young people, including commissions for Y Touring, Only Connect and Birmingham Repertory Theatre.