Theatre uncut: new short plays by Clara Brennan, David Greig, Dennis Kelly, Lucy Kirkwood, Laura Lomas, Anders Lustgarten, Mark Ravenhill and Jack Thorne, in response to the countrywide spending cuts.

Across the UK thousands of people are involved in protestsand debates, sparked into action by the largest cuts to publicspending since WWII - cuts which are the turning point of ageneration, undermining the welfare state, higher educationand the arts in one fell swoop.

Theatre Uncut is a nationaltheatre event in response to these cuts, bringing togethersome of the UK's leading dramatists.Theatre Uncut's flagship event took place in London from 16- 19 March 2011.

Drama groups, universities, youth clubs and theatre companies nationwide joined the event, staging their own versions of the shorts in a national theatrical uprising.

Now published in this new collection, Theatre Uncut containsthese short plays, addressing audiences who want to think about what the budget cuts really mean, and who they are really hitting.A debate is underway.

Protest might begin, minds might bechanged, views challenged, ideas formed.

Theatre Uncut is a response to a situation that we cannot control, and over whichwe had no say.