Zoo (and Twelve Comic Monologues for Women) (NHB Modern Plays)

At Miami's Cherokee Valley Zoo & Conservation Centre, the most dangerous thing that ever happened was the tapir's caesarian section. That is until Hurricane Jonas sets itself on a crash course straight towards it. Now zookeeper Bonnie must rush to batten down the hatches and ensure the safety of her animals – and herself.

Halfway across the world in the Yorkshire Dales, Bonnie's friend Carol feels the repercussions of that tempestuous night. Will she be able to help from afar? Or will the danger they all face turn out to be deeper and darker than a spot of bad weather?

Lily Bevan's wildly inventive comedy drama about courage, female friendship and flamingos premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2018, where it was selected as one of the Guardian's Best Shows of the Fringe. It also enjoyed London runs at Theatre503 and the 2020 VAULT Festival.

'A brilliant play' The Times

'Clever, funny and touching… worth recommending to anyone with an interest in friendship, hurricanes or North Yorkshire bats' The List

This edition also includes twelve comic monologues for female performers, some of which featured in the BBC Radio 4 series, Talking to Strangers (co-written with Sally Phillips), and were performed by Olivia Colman, Jessica Hynes and Emma Thompson, amongst others.

'Lily Bevan is one of the most consistently astonishing writers of her generation. She has an imagination like no other and her relationship with words is like a marriage between Flaubert and Spike Milligan' Emma Thompson