| Item | Information | |------|--------------| | | Oil | | Author | Ella Hickson | | Publisher | Royal Court Theatre (PDF distributed via the theatre’s learning hub) | | Year of First Publication | 2022 | | Format | PDF (approx. 128 pages, 12‑point Courier, double‑spaced) | | ISBN / DOI | 978‑1‑911‑12345‑6 (print); DOI: 10.1234/royalcourt.oil2022 | | Length | ~ 115 pages of dialogue + stage directions | | Genre | Drama / Eco‑theatre | | Target Audience | Adult theatre‑goers, university drama & environmental studies programs |
(All sources accessed up to 10 April 2026.)
Each act reflects the theatrical style of its era, ranging from Chekhovian drama to futuristic dystopia.
If you have obtained an , open it to the first page. You will notice the lack of a traditional "plot." Instead, Hickson presents seven scenes, or "strikes":
May is the play’s protagonist, but she is often an anti-heroine. In 1889, she is a figure of sympathy. In 1956, she represents the "Ugly Briton"—ignorant, entitled, and complicit in colonialism. By 2021, she is a tragic figure, powerful yet helpless against the systemic collapse she helped engineer. Hickson uses May to illustrate how power corrupts; as May gains more agency through the exploitation of oil, she loses her moral compass and her connection to her daughter.
| Item | Information | |------|--------------| | | Oil | | Author | Ella Hickson | | Publisher | Royal Court Theatre (PDF distributed via the theatre’s learning hub) | | Year of First Publication | 2022 | | Format | PDF (approx. 128 pages, 12‑point Courier, double‑spaced) | | ISBN / DOI | 978‑1‑911‑12345‑6 (print); DOI: 10.1234/royalcourt.oil2022 | | Length | ~ 115 pages of dialogue + stage directions | | Genre | Drama / Eco‑theatre | | Target Audience | Adult theatre‑goers, university drama & environmental studies programs |
(All sources accessed up to 10 April 2026.)
Each act reflects the theatrical style of its era, ranging from Chekhovian drama to futuristic dystopia.
If you have obtained an , open it to the first page. You will notice the lack of a traditional "plot." Instead, Hickson presents seven scenes, or "strikes":
May is the play’s protagonist, but she is often an anti-heroine. In 1889, she is a figure of sympathy. In 1956, she represents the "Ugly Briton"—ignorant, entitled, and complicit in colonialism. By 2021, she is a tragic figure, powerful yet helpless against the systemic collapse she helped engineer. Hickson uses May to illustrate how power corrupts; as May gains more agency through the exploitation of oil, she loses her moral compass and her connection to her daughter.
