Johnson, Judith (2026) Writing theatre about science: a playwright's perspective. In: Theatre About Science: Performing and Communicating. Coimbra University Press, Coimbra, pp. 129-137. ISBN 9789892628172

Abstract

My work with Theatre of Debate (then known as Y-Touring) began in the early 1990s when I was an early career playwright. Y-Touring had recently produced The Inner Circle (1989) by Patricia Loughrey, which focussed on HIV/AIDS. This was the company’s first production, which had completed a very successful tour in secondary schools across the UK. The Inner Circle focussed on the experience of four young characters impacted by HIV/AIDS. Watching the play at a showcase event, I was immediately taken with the emotional heft of the production and the authenticity of the young characters it depicted. Although facts about the virus were disseminated throughout the drama, this was done through emotional engagement and without patronisation. The debate workshop following the show invoked thoughtful and heartfelt responses in the audience which included young people from local secondary schools.