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Explore Key Themes & Characters
Turn passive learning into active engagement with fun and dynamic resources on core theatre texts like Things I Know to be True, including in-depth analysis of key themes, characters, and literary techniques. Explore the full DT+ library with a free trial.
"You don't understand. This is what I've been running from. I've been running. And running. And look where I end up. I'm so angry." (Ben)
Ben is not the only one who is running. Each of the siblings are running away from something. But Ben is the one who, above all, articulates the magnetic pull of the family home, and the pressure its warmth exerts on them all.
Andrew Bovell has always been adamant that this play is about love. It is not about a family breaking up because they hate each other. It is about any incredibly powerful love that can nurture and protect, but also crush and devour. Each sibling identifies a moment when they have to run away from that power.
Extract from the Things I Know to be True Comprehensive Study Guide.
"Here in this garden. I thought that's what life would be. That's all I ever wanted it to be, Fran." (Bob)
Each generation of the family chases a dream. Bob and Fran fought for a better life for themselves and their children. Their desire to be debt-free would liberate their offspring and give them a life that they never had.
The children's generation has the opportunity to travel and find themselves in jobs that make their parents proud.
This generational tension and the dreams we are sold are central themes in Things I Know to be True.
Extract from the Things I Know to be True Comprehensive Study Guide.
"I'm trying to tell you something here and it's not easy." (Mark)
Each character in the play keeps secrets, and these secrets have an impact on the characters and their relationships, particularly when they are revealed.
These is a sense that each character is searching for the truth in some way, typified by Rosie's own listing of "things she knows to be true".
Extract from the Discover, Explore, Assess Student Workbook.
"To stop myself coming apart I make a list of all the things I know... I mean actually know for certain to be true."
Rosie Price is 19 years old, and has just returned home after travelling around Europe. She is particularly close to her brother Mark (who always knows when she is upset).
Rosie is young and naive. She witnesses arguments between all of her siblings and her parents, and is described as someone who "doesn't know who she is or what she wants to be yet".
Extract from the Discover, Explore, Assess Student Workbook.
"I chose you. You and the kids. And what we had."
Fran is the matriarch of the family. At 57 years old, she works as a senior nurse, and often finds herself telling others what to do.
Fran has a tendency to smoke when she is worried about her children - family is very important to her, and she often tries to solve the problems that her children face.
She likes the tree in the garden, and goes there when she is trying to think through a solution to a problem, or when she is upset or frustrated.
Extract from the Discover, Explore, Assess Student Workbook."There's one thing I ask of my kids. One thing! Absolute honesty. She knows that a lie to my face would kill me."
At 63 years old, Bob is a gentle character, particularly in the way he deals with his daughters, Pip and Rosie.
He is very careful with money, and doesn't believe in buying unnecessary things. He worked in a manual job, often working overtime to pay off their mortgage early.
Bob rarely loses his temper, and he is the voice of reason in the family. He spends his time in the garden, which all of his children often mention - he particularly loves his rose bushes.
Extract from the Discover, Explore, Assess Student Workbook.
This overview is taken from our Discover, Explore, Assess Workbook, which includes activities, resources, and discussion questions that help develop knowledge and analysis of a given text.
