Under the cover of 'Light Shining in Buckinghamshire' Caryl Churchill takes the reader through the experience of revolution, encouraging thought and moral criticism from the audience. Her characters are entertaining and each introduces the themes of personal freedom in autocratic and dictatorial societies well. This historically based play does not introduce the audience to the English Civil but to the situation of those that live through and fight for any form of revolution, becoming relevant to modern society as well. Caryl Churchill removes the third wall of the traditional play encouraging the audience not only to view, but also to participate and act within the play itself. Not only thoroughly entertaining but almost haunting in its ability to make you think and analyse the ideas introduced for yourself.

Caryl Churchill's 'Top Girls'is a play about women who have defined their roles in life according to their individual perception of womanhood. As the play opens and we see women from ages past sit around celebrating Marlene's promotion, this anomaly is lost in the dynamism of the conversation. Are these women really successful? Has Marlene really risen to become a 'top girl'? These questions are debated in the following scenes where the reader meets various women who have pursued their profession at the expense of a personal life. Marlene is no exception, as she has given up a daughter to drive across the USA and live in the 'fast lane' while her sister cared for the child. Unlike Marlene, she has given up options in life to take care of her sister's daughter and maintains the family bonds by visiting her aged mother. Marlene, however, is still the favored one by both daughter and mother; has she earned this praise?

This is not only about women and feminism. It is about labour and class, about sacrifice, and most of all, about human imperfections. I enjoyed not just reading the play, but the stimulating debates that arise out of discussions inspired by the text. It is not a traightforward contrast between right and wrong, old and modern, feminine and masculine but it examines the gray areas in between which take into account human fallacies and individual priorities.

Caryl Churchill's Cloud Nine, explicitly addresses issues that have been a part of our society for years. In ActI, the sexual elements come as a surprise to the reader, due to the misconception that homosexuality, pedophelia, and other such topics did not exist until the 19th century. ActII address the same issues only in a different time period. The same issues are discussed.I felt that the work was worthwhile and that the topics brought to light in it were definataly worth discussing.

I have just finished reading Caryl Churchill's infamous play "Cloud Nine". I found the book to be an amazing tool to present to the reader those social issues which we have so desperately tried to sweep under the bed. The book is actually a play through which her use of a Brechtian style of theater keeps the reader in a sort of shocked confusion and not very comfortable. At first glance you might say it is vulgar and rude, yet a deeper evaluation proves that this play is an effective tool to dredge up what society has sunk to the bottom of the river.

Caryl Churchill's play makes a powerful and courageous statement. She discusses issues of feminism, colonialism, and sex. Set in the Brechtian theater, Churchill is able to tell it like it is. The play does not necessarily condone or diapprove these issues, but puts them out there to be discussed. She infers in her work that ignoring these issues is like approving of these acts by letting them continue to occur. Her characters are sometimes homosexual, or else they are obssessed with premiscuous sex. Her play may be shocking to the reader, but once you are over the initial shock, you begin to realize what she is saying. Churchill forces the reader to think about these issues and how society deals with them. This play is important to our culture and you should pick it up sometime.

Plays like this are only done at places like Yale Rep...Boring museum pieces that mean nothing to anyone that's not white and in the highest tax bracket...