Iron

A tense psychological drama exploring desire, manipulation, and control.

For audiences interested in psychological intensity.

About the Ebook

An intense psychological drama set in a women's prison, in which a mother and daughter try to break through the barriers of time, memory and punishment which separate them.

Josie is seeing her mother Fay for the first time in a while – she's never walked into a prison before, and she's been putting it off for fifteen years. Fay is serving life for murdering her husband with a kitchen knife. Her daughter needs to find out why she can't remember anything that came before that terrible night, why her own mother would kill her father. Uncovering the memories they share is going to be more perilous than either of them can imagine...

Rona Munro's play Iron was first performed at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, in July 2002, transfering to the Royal Court Theatre, London, in January 2003. It went on to win the 2003 John Whiting Award.

Reviews

'An exceptionally gripping and deeply moving play... psychological drama at its best - tense, harrowing, yet also powered by an unsentimental fund of compassion' Daily Telegraph

'Rona Munro's quietly impressive play seems simple enough on the surface, but, like her characters, it has hidden depths. It is a love story about how women love men unwisely and too well, and about the painful, twisted, sacred love between mothers and daughters. There is something of Josie and Fay in almost every mother-and-daughter relationship' Guardian

Why You'll Love This Ebook

• Gripping examination of power and desire.
• Exploration of toxic relationships.
• Published by Nick Hern Books, leading contemporary theatre publisher.
• Theatre that unsettles and disturbs.

About the Author

Rona Munro is a writer who has written extensively for stage, radio, film and television.

Her plays include: James V: Katherine (Raw Material and Capital Theatres tour, 2024); Mary (Hampstead Theatre, 2022); James IV: Queen of the Fight (National Theatre of Scotland, 2022); a stage adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (UK tour, 2019); a stage adaptation of Louis de Bernières' novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin (UK tour & West End, 2019); Scuttlers (Royal Exchange, Manchester, 2015); The James Plays trilogy (National Theatre of Scotland, the Edinburgh International Festival and the National Theatre of Great Britain, 2014); Donny's Brain (Hampstead Theatre, 2012); Pandas (Traverse, 2011); Little Eagles (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2011); The Last Witch (Traverse Theatre & Edinburgh International Festival, 2009); Long Time Dead (Paines Plough & Drum Theatre Plymouth, 2006); The Indian Boy (RSC, 2006); Iron (Traverse Theatre, 2002; Royal Court, London, 2003); The Maiden Stone (Hampstead Theatre, 1995); and Bold Girls (7:84 and Hampstead Theatre, 1990).

She is the co-founder, with actress Fiona Knowles, of Scotland’s oldest continuously performing, small-scale touring theatre company, The Msfits. Their one-woman shows have toured every year since 1986.

Film and television work includes the Ken Loach film Ladybird Ladybird, Aimee and Jaguar and television dramas Rehab (directed by Antonia Bird) and BAFTA-nominated Bumping the Odds for the BBC. She has also written many other single plays for television and contributed to series including Casualty and Dr Who. Most recently, she wrote the screenplay for Oranges and Sunshine, directed by Jim Loach and starring Emily Watson and Hugo Weaving.

She has contributed several radio plays to the Stanley Baxter Playhouse series on BBC Radio 4.

Publication Details

Publisher: Nick Hern Books

Publication Date: 15 August 2013

Print Length: 96 pages (Ebook edition)

ISBN (Ebook): 9781780012513

Format: Ebook

Language: English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I access my ebook?

Download The Grey Hill App and log in using the same email you used at checkout. Your ebook will appear instantly in your library.

Can I read it online?

Yes — you can also access your purchases via our online reader at reader.thegreyhill.com.

I can't see my ebook — what should I do?

Tap the refresh button in the app or online reader. If it still doesn't appear, ensure you're logged in with the same email used at checkout. If issues continue, contact us and we'll help right away.

Can I gift this ebook?

Yes — you can purchase a Grey Hill Gift Card here: Buy a Gift Card. The recipient can redeem it on our store, and the ebook will appear in The Grey Hill App.