Killing Time
Ste Mc
Genre: Drama
Cast size: 3
Duration: 40 mins approx
Ste Mc | Drama | One Act | 3m, (1m non-speaking)f
Short synopsis
- Synopsis
- Characters
- Awards
GREAT ONE ACT AWARD WINNING FESTIVAL PLAY
'Killing Time' is a powerful two-hander set during the final forty-eight hours of Jacob Maddox, a notorious cult leader awaiting execution on Death Row. Condemned for his role in the mass deaths of forty-five followers, Maddox has spent decades cultivating the image of a remorseless monster.
When an ambitious young filmmaker arrives seeking the truth behind the infamous Moon Dance tragedy, Maddox responds with violence, reinforcing the legend that has grown around him. But as the clock counts down towards his execution, a different relationship takes centre stage: the uneasy bond between Maddox and Dr Lennon, the prison physician responsible for overseeing the final moments of condemned inmates.
As old wounds are reopened and long-buried memories emerge, Maddox is forced to confront the trauma that shaped him, while Lennon wrestles with his own role in a system built on death. The arrival of a letter from Maddox's estranged mother shatters the last of his defences, revealing the frightened child hidden beneath decades of anger, notoriety and myth.
Exploring guilt, responsibility, redemption and the human cost of capital punishment, Killing Time is a tense, thought-provoking and deeply moving drama about the stories we tell ourselves to survive — and what remains when there is no time left.
This double award winning play won, ‘Best Play’ and 'Best Actor' at the Leverhulme Festival and NDFA’s ‘Derek Jacobi Play Writing Award in 2026.
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