All of Us
Description
Jess has a great life: a job she loves, a sharp sense of humour and a close group of friends.
When austerity threatens the world she has worked hard to build, Jess makes a stand to protect those she holds most dear.
Capturing the humour, sadness and joy of everyday life, Francesca Martinez's play All of Us is a passionate and timely look at the human cost of abandoning those who struggle to fit in.
It premiered at the National Theatre, London, in August 2022, in a production directed by Ian Rickson, with an ensemble cast featuring Francesca Martinez in the role of Jess. It was shortlisted for the 2022 George Devine Award.
Reviews
"Shines a light on the inequality and prejudice that people living with disabilities in our society are facing... the experiences of living with a disability are given great nuance and remarkably intimate detail... breathtakingly poignant."
- WhatsOnStage
"Deeply committed and compassionate... gloriously tender and funny."
- Arts Desk
"Illuminating and rage-filled... alternately entertaining and hard-hitting, with many laugh-out-loud lines... a compelling piece of work, in which a huge and theatrically under-represented sector of the British population takes centre stage."
- Evening Standard
"Startling, sparkling, revelatory."
- Observer
"Witty and moving, with sparky humour and raw anger."
- Telegraph
"Urgent, funny and intensely moving... this play makes us consider people from every angle... it demands we build a society where we can truly see and value one another. Its insistence on radical empathy shines bright."
- Guardian
"Both gut-wrenchingly serious and hilariously funny... a cry from the heart and a stimulating piece of theatre."
- British Theatre Guide
"Immensely moving and emotionally raw... shines a light on the complex, challenging and joy-filled lives of modern disabled people."
- Culture Whisper
"Harnesses theatre's unique power to affect the emotions viscerally, to shake the complacency out of us, to upset us and anger us. Martinez's play does that and powerfully so."
- Broadway World
"Powerful and poignant... wittily dismantles preconceptions about life with disability... a call to action that fizzes with rage and protest."
- The Stage