«Bacon (NHB Modern Plays)» by Sophie Swithinbank

It's Year 10's first day back at school. Mark is new and too scared to make friends. Darren is out of control and too scary to make friends. The two of them need each other — but neither would ever admit it.
Worlds apart, but more similar than they realise, the pair form a complex and manipulative relationship. And before they know it, they're embarking on a dangerous experiment that will alter the course of their lives.
Sophie Swithinbank's play Bacon is an unflinching and unexpectedly humorous look at masculinity, sexuality and power, through the dizzying lens of youth.
First developed on the Soho Theatre Writers' Lab, it won the Tony Craze Award in 2018, and was first produced at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 2022, directed by Matthew Iliffe.
'A bleak but utterly compelling drama about the end of youth… a car-crash of a story, unfolding in a playground, that's both beautiful and devastating to watch… Swithinbank's writing is potent, with a sucker punch of an ending' — The Stage
'Riveting… Swithinbank's writing is razor-sharp' — Reviews Hub 'A sensitive and dramatic portrayal of insecure masculinity and power play… heart-stoppingly moving… a fascinating piece of theatre' — British Theatre Guide