A young father raises a cloned copy of the baby son he had given up for adoption. Thirty-five years later he learns that a number of other clones are walking the streets. What happens when they meet?

By turns poignant, witty, and shocking,  A Number looks at the influences that make each of us uniquely who we are. 

 

Written when fears about cloning human embryos were in the news, Churchill’s play is relevant to today’s concerns over the power of AI to create virtual copies of anyone, indistinguishable online from the humans they replicate. Earlier this year, the Danish government recognized this threat in a copyright law giving everyone the legal right to their own body, facial features and voice.

 

Celebrated as one of Britain’s greatest innovators for the modern stage, Caryl Churchill has explored themes of abuse of power and sexual politics in such notable plays as Cloud 9 and Top Girls. Combining intellectual depth with economy of style, A Number reflects on identity, family secrets, and nature versus nurture.