A FINE IDEA by Christine Bacon (paperback)

A Fine Idea

by Christine Bacon

A bold new play about aid, power and the unfinished business of development

In 1949, Ben Hardy helps shape a bold new language of international development: one built on prosperity, partnership and peace.

75 years later, his granddaughter Jo arrives in Kenya as an aid worker, carrying that inherited idealism with her. She believes in the work. She believes in the projects, the donor speeches, the measurable progress and the lives changed one by one.

But when protests erupt against a punishing finance bill, Jo is drawn into the world of Kala, a fearless young activist who sees development very differently. For Kala, the question is not how much charity the rich world is willing to give, but who holds power, who writes the rules and who continues to profit from poverty.

As Jo’s certainty begins to fracture, she is forced to confront an uncomfortable possibility: that the system she has devoted her life to may be treating the symptoms while leaving the causes untouched.

Urgent, theatrical and sharply contemporary, A Fine Idea asks what happens when good intentions collide with debt, dependency, global finance and political power — and whether it is possible to move beyond charity towards justice.

At a time when overseas aid is being slashed, defended, rebranded and contested, A Fine Idea offers a provocative and deeply theatrical exploration of the stories we tell about helping.

Christine Bacon’s play does not offer easy answers. Instead, it examines the complex space between humanitarian care and political complicity; between lives changed by aid and systems left unchanged by charity. Moving between post-war America, present-day Kenya, donor receptions, street protests and a surreal surgical reckoning with the IMF, the play asks urgent questions about who gets to define development — and who pays the price.

Written for four actors working as an ensemble, A Fine Idea creates a large political and historical canvas with a highly flexible cast. The play moves fluidly across time, location and style, offering rich opportunities for inventive staging, projection, sound, movement and multi-role performance.

It is especially suited to companies interested in:

• Contemporary political theatre
• Ensemble-led work
• International stories and global justice
• Theatre that sparks post-show discussion
• Plays with strong educational and debate potential
• Flexible staging for studio spaces, touring or festival performance

With its urgent subject matter and ambitious theatrical form, A Fine Idea is a strong choice for companies looking for new writing that speaks directly to the present moment.

Cast: 4 actors working as an ensemble
Themes: International development, aid, activism, debt, global inequality, colonial legacy, poverty, justice, humanitarian work
Suitable for: Small theatre companies, studio theatres, touring companies, drama schools, university performance, political theatre festivals and discussion-led programming