A Chinaman of the T’ang Dynasty—and, by which definition, a philosopher—dreamed he was a butterfly, and from that moment he was never quite sure that he was not a butterfly dreaming it was a Chinese...

[L]ife is a phenomenon in need of criticism, for we are, as fallen creatures, in permanent danger of worshipping false gods, of failing to understand ourselves and misinterpreting the behaviour of others, of growing unproductively...

Oh, come on! Nobody’s favorite color is BROWN!

DYER. (Sits down) There was nothing that I recall save that the Sunne was a Round flat shining Disc and the Thunder was a Noise from a Drum or a Pan.VANNBRUGGHE. (Aside) What a Child...

We can see the film stars of yesterday in yesterday’s films, hear the voices of poest and singers on a record, keep the plays of dead dramatists upon our bookshelves, but the actor who holds...

A book is a place where my reality, escapism, hope, despair, love and death lie.

You are a dear soul who plays polo, and I am a poor Pole who plays solo.

We didn’t make enough plays. That’s been the scenario of our season.

You go to any Jay-Z concert, and he plays his hits. Comedians don’t have hits. You have to have a whole brand-new hour. You have no hits to rely on. It’s the hardest thing.

I had to start making plays that he makes. He makes plays for everybody and I tried to do that tonight.

I fear that there will be no neat ending to this, in the manner of the old Greek plays. Where the Gods descend, and all is explained, and tidied away.

Oh, come off it, I’ve only directed three plays for the RSC.

Books have power to bring you glory or doom, it all depends on perception.

Shaw’s plays are the price we pay for Shaw’s prefaces.

When I was ten all I knew was that I hated the weird words used to describe whatever it was that was wrong with my brother—to this day I think it all happened because he...

I, on the other hand, interrupt people because my thoughts fly out of my mouth. My handbag’s full of rubbish. And I want to do something that matters with my life. Right now I’d like...

We’ve got two plays,

Everyone plays their own crucial part towards the film.

I’d love to do some new plays.

It is expensive to give plays subtitles, especially for a short run, so most new dramas rarely cross the transcontinental bridge.

I got Jimmy Hall from Wet Willie and he also plays now with Hank Williams Jr.

To be or not to be tethered to the sordid, sickly, stinking, sappy apron strings of Hollywood and its endless fondness for fu**ing your sh** up. If Shakespeare were alive today, I bet he’d write...

I really don’t like plays or movies that service propaganda.

Tell me something wonderful,” he said to Dane. “Tell me that we are going to die dreamfully and loved in our sleep.””You’re always writing one of your plays on the phone,” said Dane.”I said, something...

You aren’t allowed back until you’ve learned to willingly suspend disbelief.

The quality of a play is the quality of its ideas.

Poetry, plays, novels, music, they are the cry of the human spirit trying to understand itself and make sense of our world.

Don’t even try making out I’m making this up. I’ve got proof. Evidence.

I quickly, swiftly, reach in, pluck out, and peer into the mirror. ‘I am still here.’ I am in the glass, in this moment. After this moment, I may not be here; I may be...