Owners

Synopsis

A bustling London property market in the 1970s

Marion, a ruthlessly ambitious property developer, bulldozes her way through life, acquiring buildings and people with equal fervor. Her husband Clegg, a failing butcher, seethes with resentment at her success. Their lives collide with those of Lisa and Alec, a working-class couple struggling to keep their home and sanity intact in the face of Marion’s aggressive expansion. As the characters’ desires and desperation escalate, they become entangled in a web of manipulation, violence, and twisted loyalties.

Churchill’s play is a biting critique of capitalism and the commodification of human relationships. Through sharp, often darkly comic dialogue, she exposes the brutal underpinnings of a society where everything has a price. The structure is episodic, with scenes shifting rapidly between locations and characters, mirroring the frenetic pace of the property market itself. Churchill’s unflinching portrayal of gender roles, class conflict, and the corrosive effects of unchecked ambition creates a world where characters are simultaneously predator and prey. As the stakes rise and moral boundaries blur, the play hurtles towards a conclusion that forces the audience to question the true cost of ownership – not just of property, but of people and principles.