As the old order dies, it sends Jack down a disturbing and morally compromised path. 'Wallace Shawn's masterwork has remained, for me, one of the most significant dramas of the past twenty years.' Time Out New York'To label Mourner either a morality tale or a political tirade is useless;

A daughter is tied to her brilliant father by a passionate bond. The Designated Mourner is a harsh and poetic play about the pursuit of beauty in brutal times.The Designated Mourner premiered at the National Theatre, London, in April 1996.