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Overview
Synopsis
Bryony Lavery’s hard-hitting play explores the nature of a serial-killing pedophile, forcing the audience to examine their own reactions to his crimes. Can forgiveness be found for such an evil crime? Are people born evil or can there be a deeper understanding of their actions? Frozen presents the play’s three characters predominantly through monologues, interspersed with occasional one-to-one dialogue. The grief-stricken mother, Nancy, is living with the aftermath of the abduction and subsequent murder of her ten year old daughter, Rhona, in 1980. Ralph is the serial killer who, despite priding himself on his organized, military precision, is finally caught and sentenced to life imprisonment. He becomes the case study of the third side of the triangle--Agnetha. She is an American criminal psychiatrist who comes to England on a visiting fellowship following the death of her colleague, David. As Nancy wrestles with her grief, their lives become powerfully interwoven until the final, sudden climax.
Show Information
- Book
- Bryony Lavery
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1998
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Contemporary, Simple/No Set
- Time & Place
- England, 1980 to present day
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- Samuel French
- Ideal For
- College/University, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult Characters
Context
Frozen first premiered at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, England, in 1998. Four years later, it was staged at the National Theatre’s Cottesloe Theatre in London, featuring Anita Dobson, Josie Lawrence and Tom Georgeson. In February 2004, the play opened off-Broadway at the Manhattan Company Class Theatre. It then moved to Broadway in the summer of the same year, where it was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. Brian F. O’Byrne won the award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his
to read the context for Frozen and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
In present day New York, Agnetha prepares to leave her apartment. She is catching a flight to England but is clearly emotionally unstable. Before she leaves, she allows a wave of grief to wash over her and howls until she can scream no more. Apologizing through the wall to her neighbors, she leaves for the airport.
Time shifts back to 1980 and we see Nancy tending to her garden. She has sent her 10 year-old-daughter, Rhona, round to her mother’s house with the secateurs but
to read the plot for Frozen and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Either Gender |
Silent |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher