Synopsis

A living room/kitchen in a rural cottage. The front door is stage left, with a long black range along the back wall and a rocking chair nearby.

Edward, a deputy headteacher on the verge of retirement, finds himself under siege in his home as students protest his past use of corporal punishment. His wife Maureen and estranged daughter Anna grapple with the fallout as long-buried secrets and resentments surface. As the tension mounts, the family is forced to confront their shared history and the changing social attitudes that have left Edward’s legacy in question.

The Cane is a taut, darkly comic exploration of power, accountability, and generational divide. Through its claustrophobic setting and sharp dialogue, the play delves into themes of institutional violence, family dynamics, and the ways in which the past continues to haunt the present. Ravenhill challenges audiences to consider how society reckons with outdated practices and the individuals who upheld them, while also examining the complexities of forgiveness and redemption.