About the Play:

Pugilist Specialist is a full-length drama by Adriano Shaplin. Addressing the post-September 11th consequences, this award-winning play presents the drama of American soldiers on the hunt for evil in foreign lands.

Pugilist Specialist introduces four highly-trained American Marines who are assigned the task of eliminating a troublesome Middle-Eastern leader. A microphone records their conversations as they meet, receive briefings, travel, and finally attempt to execute a modern political assassination. At the center of the mission is a female explosives expert with a bad reputation for following the rules.

Pugilist Specialist premiered in 2003 at the Pleasance Theatre and received the coveted Scotsman Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Fringe. The play then went on to a London run at Soho Theatre and 6-month UK tour.

Cast: 1 female, 3 male

What people say:

"Mesmerising... San Francisco's Riot Group brilliantly dissects the US military mentality... Should not be missed by anyone." — The Guardian

"Remarkable theatrical impact. Shaplin's dialogue has the touch of a poet." — The Evening Standard

"Bold and Skilful entertainment... serious talent bursting with ideas." — Financial Times

"Dazzling...bayonet-sharp dialogue and razor-sharp style. Shaplin at 24 is already a writer of striking authority and intelligence and his piece, expertly delivered by the cast, hits its targets with precision and force." — Time Out

"Sharp political theater... An engrossing, inventive dissection of the American military mind." — The New York Times

"A tightly constructed psychological drama – its real theme is the minefield of military relationships." — The New Yorker

"Pugilist Specialist is not a Pinteresque power play. It's a less genteel, more Maileresque view of men and women at war, the sexual thrills of killing, and the cerebral justifications of the animalistic. The four soldiers go at one another with a ferocity that, as in Pinter, is funny and frightening at the same time... Shaplin's bold style underscores that this is not your typical women-in-the-military story. In fact, there's nothing typical about it." — Boston Globe

"A visceral performance piece... an uncommonly bracing shot of political theater. Chillingly convincing, tautly suspenseful...a stunning final act." — Variety

"The play is particularly timely – and brilliant too." — Newsweek

About the Playwright:

Adriano Shaplin is an American playwright, performer, sound designer, and artistic director of the Riot Group, an internationally acclaimed ensemble he co-founded in 1997. He is the author of eight plays for the company, and is a four-time recipient of the Scotsman Fringe First Award for new writing. His plays have been translated, produced, and performed all over the world.