Summaries

Synopsis

'Why are women so killable?'

First seen at the Royal Court in London in 2021 and a fictional artistic response to recent real-life events, Maryland grapples with the violence women are forced to reckon with in their everyday lives. This 30-minute adaptation tells the story of two every women, both called Mary, and a chorus of modern day furies as they deliver their stories of assault.

Maryland began life as a stage play at the Royal Court in 2021. It was described by writer Lucy Kirkwood as a 'howl' of rage against male violence, written over 48 hours following the violent, high-profile murders of several women in 2020/21. After its first performance, acclaimed documentary maker and director Brian Hill worked with Lucy to bring the script to life for the BBC.

Lucy has adapted the stage play into a screenplay, and the production features an outstanding cast, including Daniel Mays, Zawe Ashton and Hayley Squires. Whilst dealing with a very dark and difficult subject, Maryland has flashes of wit and humour that make it a compelling watch.

Zawe Ashton and Hayley Squires play the lead roles of two women, both named Mary, who meet at a police station in the aftermath of their respective sexual assaults. Guiding them through this world is PC Moody and his colleague PC Eddowes. They are supported by a cast of Furies, similar to a Greek chorus, who rail against the injustices the women face, both in the events of the play and in the wider world.

The film is shot in a heightened, dramatic and stylised way, alluding to its roots in the theatre.

"This play was for many years a private conversation with myself... I hesitate to even call it a play when it is simply a howl, a way of expressing what I feel about a culture of violence against women, but I am sharing it because I wonder if it might express a little of what other people feel about it too." Lucy Kirkwood.