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In the case of acclaimed dramatist Alice Birch, crafting is akin to a struggle. “The process is taxing,” she admits. “It’s ugly and horrible. The words don’t flow effortlessly. At times, it seems almost unhealthy.”

The writer is known for her intense works that frequently include experimental form and intensity. One of her earliest successes, an impactful drama, came together in a three-day frenzy. Her newest production, titled Romans, took shape in roughly 10 days—but as she explains that the ideas had been developing for almost a decade. “Obviously, the process was longer than that,” she clarifies. “It was an eight-year journey. The text itself finally emerged.”

Her research involved new genres: Ernest Hemingway, Lawrence, 70s American novels, even attempting Ulysses without success.

This production presents a radical exploration of manhood and the novel spanning a century and a half. It centers on a character named Jack, brought to life by an accomplished actor. He is introduced as a 10-year-old boy, through successive segments of his existence is presented in a different historical literary style: Victorian prose, modernism, fragmented narratives. “The idea that it’s almost impossible,” Birch says, “drives the creative energy.”

Structure is her priority for her. Romans represents a debut use of a central narrator. “Some might call it traditional,” she admits, “yet a narrative about masculine identity, needs a lone character delivering monologues.”

She has wanted to explore manhood for some time. “Critics sometimes mention on my male characters are less developed than female counterparts.” It became a motivating obstacle. Romans opens in an era when women are giving birth on the other side of walls as men enjoy cigars. The narrative moves into educational institutions, prisons, extremist groups, and podcast recordings. “Several segments required research into Andrew Tate and toxic masculinity communities,” she mentions reluctantly. “It was deeply unpleasant.”

Across the years, Birch read voraciously in unfamiliar genres. Moreover, refined concepts alongside her collaborator, Sam Pritchard. This collaboration represents an initial effort onstage. “We were tentative,” she reveals. “What if it doesn’t work?”

She has also made a name for skilled adaptations in TV. Her credits include screen versions of Sally Rooney’s a beloved show plus additional works. Currently, she is working on a new adaptation.

Interpreting pre-written texts is, Birch acknowledges, “a rewarding task”, though she was keen to sink her teeth into something new. Earlier, she presented was an innovative version of Federico García Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba. With this new play, Birch does not just adapt a single story, but the form itself. “Some might call it ambitious,” she admits, rolling her eyes. But she wanted to test the limits for the stage.

The idea initially took shape upon listening to a vintage broadcast featuring a famous author on manhood and literature. “Male characters were in action settings,” she notes. “Then, gradually, men were brought inside due to social changes.” It offered the framework for her play, drawing from literary evolution to examine masculine storytelling influenced society, “and how female inclusion then has on their stories”.

During the creative process, Birch toyed with letting female characters take control of the plot from the protagonists. “But that didn’t feel very truthful.” Rather, societal attitudes toward women who are labelled as mad echoes throughout the drama. This theme reappears in Birch’s work, from Anatomy of a Suicide to her recent film adaptation titled Die, My Love. In collaboration with a respected director, the suspenseful story features a famous actress as her character descends into psychosis soon after giving birth. She often consistently engaged with such narratives. “In my view, little has progressed, how people think about women and mental health and creative force and fury,” she states. “It seems that an enraged woman is unsettling in society, something to suppress.”