Posh: Modern Plays

Exactly how far does old money get you these days? Acclaimed playwright Laura Wade explores the lives of the young, wealthy and privileged. Are the high-jinks of the tail-coated Bullingdon boys the last gasp of a dying breed?

Within the male arena of the play, the commentary to this play unpacks its gender politics, including its revival as an all-female production and some of the women creatives who have worked on this play

IntroductionChronologyHistorical, social and cultural contextsPlay as PerformanceProduction History and Critical ReceptionFurther ExplorationPoshNotes

While Wade's play reminds us that many of the upper-class continue to enjoy the sound of broken glass, its success lies in harpooning the way power operates through a succession of nods and winks in our supposedly open, egalitarian society.
What an outstanding talent ... Her feel for character is exceptionally keen and she also writes excellent gags.
Nearly a decade on from its blistering Royal Court premiere and subsequent West End transfer, Laura Wade's incisive dissection of the entitled upper classes in their Oxford University playground feels as relevant and disquieting as ever ... As a piece of political theatre, the message is blunt to the point of brutal. These people - with their expectation to rule; their conviction that money can buy them out of any problem, and their inherent, blind faith in their own superiority - are pretty despicable characters and we trust them with the future of the nation at our own peril ... Perhaps it should even be compulsory viewing for members of the government.