Abi Morgan’s Lovesong is inspired by the T.S. Eliot's poem, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The play revolves around a couple, William and Margaret/Billy and Maggie, who are depicted at two key stages in their lives. After forty years of marriage, Maggie is ill and riddled with pain. As they enter the final week of her life, the house becomes full with memories of their marriage and their desperation to conceive a child. Past and present literally intertwine as the older and younger couples move around each other across the stage. All relationships have their ups and downs and theirs has been far from perfect. However, their marriage survives his addictive tendencies, temptations of infidelity on both sides, and an inability to have children that affects them both profoundly but manifests in different ways. While Margaret/Maggie struggles with loneliness, William/Billy hits the bottle when times are hard. However, as Margaret/Maggie prepares to take her own life and end her suffering, Billy is at her side.
Lovesong guide sections
