Books by Polly Stenham

sharp and fizzy.' GuardianHotel'That unusual theatrical thing, a thriller - and a thriller that really scares.' Observer'Stenham achieves the dramatic gearshift between nervous laughter to jolting horror with great panache, and her play keeps springing surprises to the bitter end .

And what does sorry mean? Nothing really. It's just a word. It's what people say when it's too late. It's a sorry little stick of a word. Slick with your spit at my feet.Secluded, isolated, the perfect desert-island escape. Just what Robert and the family need. But beyond the white sand and beautiful sunsets, a storm is gathering.A thriller that explores the cost of integrity, Hotel by Polly Stenham premiered at the National Theatre, London, in June 2014.

Come on troops. Let's take check: Finn Bar, slightly ruffled but still in fighting form. Maggie, could do with a full night's sleep but otherwise all in order... Stay here. Don't answer the door. I'll go out and get some proper food.In a new flat, three children play hide and seek. Eliot wears a crown, little Finn, King of the Wild Thing's, draws on the walls. Maggie climbs them. Hiding from the world, needing to be found, their one shared focus a mobile phone. Will it ring? Who will call? And what are they waiting for?Tusk Tusk is a tale of family loyalty as an uncertain future circles. Polly Stenham's second play premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in March 2009.

I can't take care of you anymore. I can't take it. It's like an endless boxing match.Mia is at boarding school. She has access to drugs. They are Martha's. Henry is preparing for art college. He has access to alcohol. From Martha. Martha controls their lives. Martha is their mother.That Face premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in April 2007, and won the TMA Award 2007 for Best New Play. Polly Stenham received both the Charles Wintour Award 2007 and the Critics' Circle Award 2008 for Most Promising Playwright.