What happens when a village that has outlawed laughter is suddenly forced to learn how to be funny?
In New York-based writer Joel Marlin’s new absurdist comedy about the importance of laughter itself, The Statesman tells the story of a humourless village and the bitter old man whose job it is to teach them how to be funny.
In this novel six-hander, a small village stands defiantly apart from its neighbours as a place where humour is outlawed. A dull, harmonious peace reigns – but when a boy is exiled for the forbidden act of laughter, his case catches the eye of the Queen. Intrigued, she dispatches a representative to uncover the truth.
Now, with just one week to prove they’re capable of comedy, the villagers and their stern Governor face a terrifying dilemma: to protect their way of life, they must learn how to become the very thing they are not – funny.
Fast-paced, sharp, and bitingly relevant, The Statesman blends political satire with heart, asking audiences the question: how does laughter unite us when it appears that little does?
