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2009

Aunt Dan and Lemon

Written by Wallace Shawn

Play Details

Context

Artistic Director 
Dominic Cooke

Dates Performed

Wednesday 20th May 2009
Jerwood Theatre Downstairs

Play Details

Synopsis

London. A dark room. A woman named Lemon, born in 1960. She sits in an armchair, weak and sick.

Lemon, born in 1960, invites us into her dark London flat, where she sits weak and sickly, sustained only by fruit and vegetable juices. Her life, filled with loneliness and sickness, revolves around her vivid memories of Aunt Dan, an influential and controversial figure from her childhood. Aunt Dan, a charismatic American who was once close friends with Lemon’s parents, becomes Lemon’s guide and confidante, shaping her views on morality, politics, and human nature.

Set against the backdrop of Lemon’s introspective monologues, the play delves into complex themes of power, influence, and ethical ambiguity. Lemon recounts Aunt Dan’s fervent admiration for Henry Kissinger and justifications for his controversial decisions during the Vietnam War. Through these stories, the play explores the seductive allure of authoritarianism and the dangerous ease with which moral lines can blur. Lemon’s reflections are both a personal history and a broader commentary on the interplay between personal ethics and political power.

Director(s)

Dominic Cooke

Photo credit

All images credited to Donald Cooper

Other productions

Cast & Creative

Cast

Mary Roscoe

Cast

Paul Chahidi

Cast

Lorraine Ashbourne

Cast

Scarlett Johnson

Cast

Martin McDonagh

Cast

Ryan McCluskey

Cast

Rene Zagger

Cast

Rebecca Faulkenberry. Holly Goss

Cast

Nathan Osgood

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