The Memory of Water

Winner of The 2000 Laurence Olivier Award for the Best New Comedy, The Memory of Water at first seems like black comedy with three siblings dabbling in stress-induced dress-up and hilarious quarrels over men, funeral arrangements, and memories of their mother, a strong and haunting presence despite her recent death. But it also tells a touching tale of how time and distance cloud memories till they become as fluid as water. The play first opened and enjoyed an extended run at London’s Hampstead Theatre in 1997 and went on to successful regional premieres at Steppenwolf and the Manhattan Theatre Club.