The unexpected man

Description

A famous author on a train sits opposite an unknown woman who is reading his latest book, 'The Unexpected Man'. He observes her reading the novel but affects not to notice. Likewise, she pretends not to recognise that he is the writer. In bizarre, self-obsessed monologues the two characters relate memories, fears and ideas, never actually conversing until the very end of the piece. Reza's disquieting play explores the 'nostalgia of what doesn't occur', and raises questions about the ambiguous relationship between writers and readers. This translation was first performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company at The Pit, Barbican Centre, London, in April 1998.