About the Play:

Landscape with Weapon is a full-length drama by Joe Penhall. Are scientists morally responsible for how others use their inventions? The show finds a well-meaning engineer, wrestling with this question after he develops a new super-weapon that claims to revolutionize modern combat, eliminate human error, and lessen civilian casualties. But that was before issues of financial gain and government control crept into the picture.

Landscape with Weapon is a riveting examination of the intersection of morality and technology. To his family's horror, Ned, a genius aerospace engineer, reveals he's the brains behind the new weapon of mass destruction so sophisticated, so extraordinary, it will revolutionize the nature of warfare. "Qualms? Oh yeah, sure, I have qualms. Everybody has qualms. But I'll overcome them." As Ned's relationships deteriorate, his conscience kicks in and he questions his beliefs about war, the battle between profit and ethics, and personal responsibility. It's only when the Government demands intellectual ownership that Ned begins to question himself, resisting the might of the weapons industry with frightening consequences. Shining a spotlight on the controversial use of drones, Landscape with Weapon is a wry account of private anguish, public responsibility and a problem with no solution.

Landscape with Weapon premiered in 2007 at the National Theatre in London. The American premiere was in 2013 at San Jose Repertory Theatre. The play has been performed in regional and college theatre productions.

Cast: 1 female, 3 male

What people say:

"This is an important and bracing intellectual drama that brilliantly humanises a moral conundrum." — Sunday Express (London)

"Intriguing new play about the moral and psychological implications of the arms trade...Penhall shows a subtle feel for the big issues in small setting." — Daily Mail (London)

"Fascinating... constantly subtle and engaging...." — The Observer

"Joe Penhall's gift for dramatising uncomfortable arguments is again apparent in his powerful new play about the arms industry and the moral responsibility of the scientist. ...The ending is bleakly beautiful." — The Independent (London)

"'Riveting... bitterly funny play in which [Penhall] sets the aesthetic world of the creator against the harsh realities of politics. It's a series of debates in which the emotions run deep as the ideas... Penhall has a terrific ability to explore moral conundrums dramatically... hones in on the argument with accuracy and force." — Time Out (London)

About the Playwright:

Joe Penhall is an award-winning British playwright and screenwriter who has garnered several awards for his work. Probably best known for his multi-award winning play Blue/Orange, he has written over 10 plays, more than five films and television adaptations of his own work.