Edmond

Synopsis

A neon-lit urban jungle where the veneer of civilisation peels away like paint from a decaying building, revealing the raw, primal instincts lurking beneath

Edmond Burke, a seemingly ordinary middle-aged man, abruptly abandons his conventional life after a cryptic encounter with a fortune teller. Thrust into the seedy underbelly of the city, Edmond embarks on a nocturnal odyssey that strips away his societal conditioning layer by layer. As he navigates through a labyrinth of bars, strip clubs, and brothels, each encounter serves as a station in his descent into a personal hell of alienation and violence.

David Mamet’s Edmond is a searing exploration of the human psyche under extreme duress, laid bare through the playwright’s characteristic staccato dialogue and unflinching gaze. As Edmond’s night spirals into increasingly disturbing territory, the play becomes a savage critique of modern urban existence. Mamet uses Edmond’s journey as a lens to examine themes of racial tension, sexual frustration, and the existential despair that lurks beneath the surface of polite society. The city itself becomes a character, a concrete jungle that both reflects and exacerbates Edmond’s internal turmoil.